Zoe Louise Merriman Kirkpatrick
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Daughter, Wife, Mother, Actress, Dancer, amateur Paleontologist, Author, Trader, Rattlesnake skinner.
January 13, 1935 – March 29,2019
Family reception at Hudman Funeral Home from 6-7:30 Friday April 5 and Memorial service for Zoe Kirkpatrick, 84, of Post, Texas will be held on Saturday April 6, 2019 at 1:30 pm at First United Methodist Church in Post.
Zoe, aka Zoedie, was born in Knox City, Texas to Elsie and Edwin Merriman.
Zoe grew up moving periodically to follow her father, a Navy man, wherever he was stationed, eventually landing in Lubbock where she graduated from Lubbock High in 1952. She then attended Texas Tech where her beauty and athleticism earned her the title of Miss Lubbock in 1953 and a place in history as one of the first females to compete on the women’s intercollegiate fencing team. She caught the eye of football star, Jack Kirkpatrick. The two were married after their sophomore year. After graduating from Texas Tech, Zoe and Jack moved to the Kirkpatrick family ranch outside of Post. There she raised five boys: Kent, Cliff, Will, Joel and Ben.
As Zoe’s youngest son was leaving the nest, her attention shifted to her lifelong passion of photographing and identifying local wildflowers. In 1992 she published Wildflowers of the Western Plains, an extensive guide to identifying wildflowers of the area. Through the rest of her life this book allowed Zoe to educate countless garden clubs and botanical groups around the South Plains of the often neglected beauty of West Texas.
Zoe was an active member of The Post First United Methodist Church, and energetic supporter of local theater community. She also found great adventure and passion in both paleontology (having a dinosaur named for her) and archeology of local Native American history and artifacts.
Zoe is survived by husband Jack Kirkpatrick of Post, TX. Five sons: Kent Kirkpatrick (Bob) of Santa Fe, NM, Cliff (Dena) of Post, TX, Wil (Ralynn) of Crosbyton, TX, Joel (Rhonda) Kirkpatrick of Crosbyton, TX, and Ben (Tamara) of Lubbock, TX. One brother: Larry Merriman of Longview, TX. Nine grandchildren: Sarah (Robert) Tofan, Hannah Kirkpatrick, Krece and Zaran Kirkpatrick, Tylo and Zack Kirkpatrick, and Jake, Jordan and Jackson Kirkpatrick. One great-grandchild RC Tofan.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the National Ranching Heritage Center, the American Windmill Museum or Kindred Hospice in Zoe’s honor.
