Anita Jean Kirkpatrick, age 84, passed away at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, CA on June 21, 2026. Anita was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 18, 1941. Due to her father Eckle Ashworth’s deployment during WW2, she and her mother Bernice Klamka Ashworth moved to TN to live with her paternal grandmother.
After the war was over the family moved to CA. Anita met the love of her life Tom on a double date arranged by her best friend Linda. Tom and Anita were married on September 17, 1960, and would have been married 66 years this year. Anita gave birth to their 3 girls Donna Lynn (deceased), Kimberly Catherine, and Stephany Gwen. The family moved to Denair in 1975 so they could have more room for Anita’s horse Fancy.
Anita met a dear friend Cherie horseback riding who introduced her to her new loveregistered Shorthorn cattle. Anita began her cattle showing career, traveling up and down CA attending county fairs with her daughters Kimberly and Stephany. Anita and Cherie started Sandy Creek Cattle Company with the ranch on Hall Road in Denair. Anita retired from showing cattle in the 1990’s and continued raising cattle until the 2000’s.
Anita loved to garden and could start a new rose bush from a cutting! She turned her horse corral into an heirloom tomato paradise, always sharing her bountiful harvest with her neighbors. Anita had attended art school and created original drawings of plants and animals for her daughters’ teachers at Denair Elementary school. She was involved with The Denair Tip Toppers 4-H Club for many, many years as a project leader and community leader jointly with Cherie. She was a faithful active member of Denair Friend Church. She loved attending classes at the gym and made many lifelong friends. One of her favorite activities with her grandchildren and their friends was playing croquet on the front lawn long into the night.
Along with her beautiful smile that would light up her face, she was a secret prankster known for dancing on tables, stringing up golfcarts in trees, and her elaborate dinners that had us eating nightly at 10pm!
Anita will be deeply missed by her family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Eckle and Bernice and her daughter Donna. She is survived by her loving husband Thomas G. Kirkpatrick, daughters Kimberly C. Meneses (Gabriel) of Tulare, CA; Stephany G. Kirkpatrick of Denair; her sister Shirley A. Allen (David) of Meadow Vista, CA; and niece Jessica White (Tom). She left behind four grandchildren, Thomas Lee Clark (Christiana and great granddaughters Katie-Ann and Lexi); Caitlin Amanda Clark; Nicolas Alexander Hernandez (Cheyanne and great grandchildren Keeley, Kessler, and Kaiser); and Aidan Joseph Hernandez and his girlfriend Lara Corpuz because grandma wants to know why they haven’t gotten married yet!
Viewing/Visitation scheduled for Friday, June 26, 2026, from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Allen Mortuary, 247 N. Broadway, Turlock. Church Service will be held Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. at Denair Friends Church 4033 N. Gratton Road, Denair with burial (at noon) to follow at Lakewood Memorial Park, 900 Santa Fe Ave., Hughson; and reception to follow at Denair Friends Church.
Flowers may be sent to Allen Mortuary at the above address.
