Margilee Ruth (Winkler) Jones

Margilee Ruth (Winkler) Jones, 89, of Temple, passed away on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Temple. A private burial will take place prior to the service.

Margilee was born on February 15, 1937, in Temple, Texas, to Charlie and Lena (Symm) Winkler.

Margilee had a remarkable green thumb and delighted in caring for plants—her own and everyone else’s. She was always ready to help revive a struggling fern or coax new life from a tired houseplant.

Over the years, she held a variety of jobs, including selling Amway and Mary Kay and working for the 7 Up bottling company, before retiring from the Child Support Division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

Her faith was the steady center of her life. She frequently shared scripture with family and friends and was known as a devoted prayer warrior. One passage she returned to often was the call to “put on the whole armor of God,” from Ephesians 6, encouraging others to imagine placing each piece upon themselves as they read.

Margilee served as a baptismal sponsor for numerous babies throughout her life. One of those children later became a Lutheran pastor whose first call was to a congregation in Southern California. Margilee’s niece drove her across the country for his installation—adding more miles to her car on that single trip than she had in the previous few years.

Margilee will be remembered for her faith, her generosity, her love of nurturing living things, and the quiet but meaningful ways she touched the lives of those around her.

Dossman Funeral Home in Belton is in charge of the arrangements.

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