Gerald Vernon “JR” Wilcox, Jr., 62, of Newton, died on Monday, September 13, 2021, at his home. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at the First Christian Church in Newton. The family will greet friends after the service with a lunch at the church.  Memorials in JR’s name (checks made payable to Connie Wilcox) may be left at the church the day of the service or the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory.

JR, the son of Gerald Vernon and Lois Caroline (Leavens) Wilcox, Sr., was born on August 25, 1959 in Newton.  He graduated from Newton High School in the class of 1978.  On December 27, 1980, JR was united in marriage with Connie Smool in Newton.  He worked from 1985-2014 as a crane operator for Gralnek-Dunitz Co. JR was a member of the First Christian Church. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and trapping.  He also liked to vegetable garden and had quite a green thumb.  JR loved spending time with his grandchildren and his cow, “Moo”. 

JR is survived by his wife, Connie Wilcox of rural Newton, children, Erica (Dale) Maston of Killduff, Gerald (Vanessa) Wilcox, III of Newton, Colleen (Nick) Lepley of Lynnville, and Rusty (Amy ) Wilcox of Kellogg; his grandchildren, Brooke, Payton, and Blake Maston, Xavier Chavez Wells, Logan Wilcox, Allyssa, Kamiya, Gavin, and Karson Lepley, Joshua, Steven, and Brenton Hefflefinger, and Kendyl LeVelle; mother, Lois Hildebrand of Newton; siblings, Tina (Marvin) Dittmer of Newton, Melissa (Ron) McConnell of Des Moines, Frank (Robin) Wilcox of Texas, and Barb Doyle of Texas; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Gary (Janelle) Smool; and his many nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his father, Gerald Wilcox, Sr. and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Virgil “Pete” and Dorothy Smool.