Mona Louise Winger

Mona Louise Winger, age 98, of Johnson, Kansas died peacefully on Monday, January 5, 2026 at the St Anthony's Hospital in Lakewood, CO. She was born to Maude Jewel (Reynolds) and Felix Raymond Edmisson on June 5, 1927 in Englewood, Kansas.
When Mona was old enough to travel, the family moved to Johnson. Mona grew up with 3 sisters: Anna Mae (Edmisson) Lewis, Iris Elizabeth (Edmisson) Lane, and Felicia Rae (Edmisson) Wheeler. Mona attended school throughout her growing up years in Johnson. She enjoyed sharing stories of her high school years, including when she began to date a fellow classmate, Melvin Donald Winger. After graduating in 1945, earning the position of valedictorian of her class, she went to college at Emporia College to study music. After two years of college, Melvin proposed to her, and Mona left Emporia to get married May 16, 1948. Together, they moved onto the family farmstead northeast of town.
Eager to start a family, Mona and Melvin had four children: Melva Jo (Winger) Rondon in 1949, Raymond Earl Winger in 1951, Sally Gail (Winger) Peterson in 1953, and Edwin Lee Winger in 1955. Oh, what a joy having kids was for Mona and Melvin. To her children, Mona passed on the gifts of love for music, dedication to education, and pleasure in reading, art and nature. How blessed her family is to carry on with those generous gifts.
Not only did Mona raise her children, but she had a significant hand in raising her eight grandchildren. Her oldest grandchild was born in 1974, with the last grandchild being born in 2001. The grandchildren often stayed with Mona and Melvin, who were the kind of grandparents that loved spending time with their grandchildren, caring deeply about all of their activities and when possible, attending their events. When the eleven great-grandchildren came along, she was again thrilled to play an important part of each of their lives. Her family also included various dogs and cats she cared for throughout her life. For Mona, there was nothing greater than being with her loved ones, enjoying the chaos and laughter of a large family.
In the 1990s, Melvin and Mona experienced the tragic deaths of son Ed and later their daughter Sally. They leaned heavily on each other and their faith to weather the loss. Mona was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Johnson. As a bible scholar, Mona participated in the Disciple classes for many years. She enjoyed attending the St. Paul School of Theology events in Kansas City, getting to know the leadership teams and faculty. She and Melvin considered this opportunity to be among the finest of their gifts to public service.
Mona and Melvin were a team in all areas of life, including business, and Melvin consulted Mona for every major business decision he made. Her intelligence and honesty made her an invaluable business partner, and she was an integral part of operations for the Winger family farm. She also served as director at First National Bank of Liberal.
In her early married life, Mona was a member of a few clubs, including Pleasant Hour and Mother's Club. As her family grew up and moved into adulthood, Mona began china painting. She found special joy in attending china painting classes, seminars, and conferences. In the early 1990s, Mona attended Panhandle University, majoring in English. She thoroughly enjoyed attending college as a non-traditional adult student. She delighted in solving puzzles, especially Wordle and Sudoku. Later in life, she also joined a local book club. She continued to read voraciously and led her last book club discussion with the group in December 2025.
Despite not completing her degree in music, Mona maintained a deep, lifelong appreciation for music. She was proud of her daily commitment to practicing and playing the piano. She was also an organist for the First United Methodist Church for many years. Mona often accompanied individuals who were singing solos. She taught piano lessons and advocated for the inclusion of the arts in the public education curriculum.
While a private woman, Mona left a mark in Johnson, Kansas. She will be missed by her family, friends, and all those with whom she shared her curiosity for knowledge and her passion for music, reading, and her faith. She was wonderfully insightful, kind, and witty, and the absence of her resilient and generous spirit will be felt by all who knew her.
She is survived by her children, Melva Jo (Carlos) Rondon and Raymond Earl Winger; her sister, Felicia (Cal) Wheeler; her grandchildren, Brant (Amy) Peterson, Brian (Shawn) Peterson, Margaret Winger, Elizabeth (Wesley) Young, Clara (Tim) Weise, George (Kali) Winger, Karla Rondon, and Katie Winger; and her great-grandchildren, Cort (Corinne) Peterson, Cyle Peterson, Peyton Peterson, Chesney Peterson, Creed Peterson, Carsyn Winger, Brylie Peterson, Kipling Young, Britta Young, Grace Young, Hudson Winger, and Knox Weise.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Maude Jewel and Felix Raymond Edmisson; her husband, Melvin Donald Winger; her sisters, Anna Mae (John) Lewis and Iris Elizabeth (Galen) Lane; her son, Edwin Lee Winger and her daughter, Sally Gail Peterson.
Funeral service will be Monday, January 12, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the First United Methodist Church in Johnson with Pastor Elizabeth Winger Young and Pastor Wesley Young officiating. Interment will follow at the Stanton County Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday, January 11, 2026, from 2:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Garnand Funeral Home in Johnson. Memorial contributions may be given to the First United Methodist Church or the Stanton County Library in care of Garnand Funeral Home, PO Box 715, Johnson, KS 67855. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.