Earlene Dorothy Wilson

Earlene Dorothy Wilson, age 80, of Atchison, Kansas, died Wednesday, June 2, 2021 surrounded by her family.

Mass of Christian burial will be Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Church with Rev. Jeremy Heppler, OSB as celebrant. Burial will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. A parish rosary will be Saturday, beginning at 9:00 a.m. with visitation to follow until service time  at the church. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Benedict Parish, St. Benedict Catholic School Playground Fund ( Powered by SMART™ (smarttuition.com), St. Benedict’s Abbey ( Give Now — St. Benedict's Abbey (kansasmonks.org) or Mount St. Scholastica ( Donate – Mount St. Scholastica (mountosb.org) and may be left in care of the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home with whom care has been entrusted. 

Earlene was born on December 1, 1940, in Price, Utah, the daughter of Don and Adele (Bonza) Carlow. She attended grade school through high school at Notre Dame De Lourdes in Price, Utah. She graduated from Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison in 1960 and later that year married Ernest J. “Junior” Hegarty on August 20, 1960. Junior preceded her in death on July 4, 1994.

Earlene and Tom Wolters were married on June 29, 2001 and he preceded her in death on February 24, 2003. Earlene and Jim Wilson were united in marriage on May 5, 2007 at St. Joseph’s Church in Atchison and just celebrated their fourteenth anniversary.

She began her employment as a chemist for Midwest Solvents and was with the company her entire working career. She was quickly promoted to Lab Manager which is the role she held until her retirement after over forty years.

She was a faithful member of St.  Benedict Parish where she participated at St. Joseph Church and was in the choir and a member of the church Altar Society. She delivered Meals on Wheels for the Project Concern for over twenty years and dedicated countless hours making and sharing rosaries with others.

She is survived by her husband, Jim Wilson, of the couple’s home in Atchison; five daughters, Janie (Tim) Pickman, Kelly (Derek) Franklin, Shelly (Bill) Andre, Susie Kinsey, all of Atchison, KS, Mary Jo (Jeff) Cole, Eagle River, AK; a son, Mark (Stephanie) Hegarty, Cloverdale, CA; step-children, Anne Wilson, Kansas City, KS, Amy Wilson, Atchison, KS, Sharon (John) Cannon, Paola, KS; her twin brother, Earl Carlow; half-brother, Sterling “Kay” Carlow; sister, Joan Johnson; half-sister, Jean Olberg; fifteen grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.

Earlene was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Junior Hegarty and Tom Wolters; half-brother, Ferrol Carlow; half-sister, Gwen Bonza; and a sister-in-law, Mary Carlow.