Anton J. "Tony" Winkler, 94, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau.

He was born Oct. 19, 1917, in Uniontown, Mo., son of Hugo and Anna M. Meyer Winkler. He and Kathryn Koehler were married Jan. 10, 1942. She passed away Oct. 26, 1980. He and Margaret Kave George were married Jan. 12, 1990.

Tony was inducted into the Army Air Corps during World War II and honorably served from Dec. 23, 1942, until Oct. 19, 1945.

As a young man, he was a truck driver, hauling gravel in Jackson and the surrounding areas. He was a welder at General Motors in St. Louis and worked at the former Kroger Grocery Store in Jackson and the former Jackson Hosiery Mill. He started his own residential construction company in the early 1950s. He was a 60-year member of Altenthal-Joerns American Legion Post 158 in Jackson, a member of Assembly 2099 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, and a lifelong member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson.

In addition to his wife, loving survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Mary Winkler of Jackson; a daughter and son-in-law, Betty and Louis Merritt of Woodland Hills, Calif.; two stepdaughters, Kim (Bill) Horner, and Linda (Gary) Littlepage of Jackson; a stepdaughter-in-law, Theresa George of Wittenberg, Mo.; a brother, Linus Winkler; and a sister, Frieda Cissell of Perryville, Mo.; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, stepgrandchildren, great-stepgrandchildren, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a son, James Edward Winkler; a stepson, Steve George; six brothers; and two sisters.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. An American Legion service will be held at 5:30 p.m. and parish prayers will be at 7 p.m.

The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Immaculate Conception Church, with the Rev. John Harth and Monsignor William Stanton officiating. Interment will be in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson, with full military honors.

The family suggests that memorials be made to the Immaculate Conception Building Fund.

Sympathy messages may be sent to the family online at www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.

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