Sylvia Mae Newkirk died in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas at the BSA Hospice of the Southwest facility at Bivens Pointe on 2 February 2021.She was born in Thomas, Custer County, Oklahoma on 15 October 1926 as the fourth child to William L Brink and Mary Lee Rish. The first child, a boy, died at child birth. Sylvia and her two older sisters, Sue and Bell, were joined by Betty, Clara, Gertrude (who only lived five days), Richard, and Wanda. Sylvia lived most of her life in the northeastern New Mexico area.
With so many girls ahead of the only son, William and Mary taught the girls to work and enjoy living as a family. William taught the girls to work like men and Mary taught them to work as homemakers. All the girls were also taught how to be ladies.
After moving around a lot during her childhood Sylvia graduated from Grenville High School in 1945 during World War II. The Brink girls were very attractive young ladies and many of the young men desired to date them. At Grenville there was a family that had three young men about the same age as the Brink girls. Carmon Lee, Jimmie, and Matt Irwin. Carmon Lee was in the Navy during the War and stationed in the Phillipines. He came home on leave and met Sylvia. He chose her from among the Brink girls. Sylvia wrote him during the remainder of the war. She wrote other young men from the Grenville and Des Moines area during the war, but when Carmon Lee was discharged he came home and went to Elida to get Sylvia. They were married in Clayton, Union County, New Mexico by Colonel Jack Potter on 26 February 1946.
Sylvia’s happiness with her tall handsome husband was short lived because Carmon Lee died on 4 February 1949 from pancreatic cancer. She found herself a widow at 22 years of age with a 23 month old son, Jack, and 9 months pregnant with Cecil who was born on 21 February 1949. She went home to live with her parents and help her father, William, drill water wells while her mother, Mary, kept the two boys. Sylvia soon found employment in a grocery store in Des Moines where another young tall and handsome man she knew from school came courting. She married Henry Oliver Newkirk on 19 December 1951. He accepted and loved the two boys as his own and adopted them. Sylvia and Oliver had two more boys, William Oliver, born on 23 November 1960 and Henry Alfred born on 19 May 1963.
Sylvia helped Oliver with the ranching operation, the custom hay baling business, and driving the school bus in addition to being a housewife and mother. Together Sylvia and Oliver taught the four boys to work, to be patriotic, and to be good citizens. They purchased the Folsom Supply Co. and Sylvia operated the store until her retirement in 1986. She and Oliver were married 56 years and only separated by Oliver’s death on 9 February 2008.
Her four sons, Jack, Cecil, William, and Alfred have produced a living tribute to Sylvia and Oliver through 8 living grandchildren, 17 living great grandchildren and 3 living great great grandsons.
Sylvia was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary Brink, Her sisters, Sue, Bell, Clara, Gertrude, and Wanda, her brother, Richard Brink, her son, William Newkirk, her grandson, Riley Newkirk, her great grandson, Ellis Edgar Newkirk, and her beloved husband, Henry Oliver Newkirk.
Her survivors include: sister, Betty Irwin of Amarillo, TX, son, Jack and wife, Elaine, of Amarillo, TX, son, Cecil and wife, Angela, of Moses Lake, WA, son Alfred and wife Marla, of Folsom, NM, grandson Leroy and wife Jennette of Pueblo, CO, grand daughter, Mary and husband Travis Oringdulph of Colorado Springs, CO, grand daughter Jacque and husband Bob VanOstrand of Amarillo, TX, grandson Shad and wife Krissy of Snoqualmie, WA, grandson Tommy and wife Hattie, of Tijeras, NM, grandson Levi and wife Rebecca of Folsom, NM, grand daughter Amaris and wife Joannie of South Jordan, UT, grand daughter Myra and husband David Mason of Shalimar, FL, 17 great grandchildren, 3 great great grandsons, special daughter in Law, Debbie with her daughter Natashia, of Folsom, NM, special friend Amy Davis of Folsom, NM and numerous nieces and nephews, along with many other relatives and friends.
Sylvia requested cremation and no funeral services so a private family graveside service will be conducted at the family cemetery in Oak Canyon at a future date.
The family is asking that in lieu of flowers donations be made to The Newkirk Scholarship Fund, 11301 Lightfoot Dr., Amarillo, TX 79108.
