Anita M. (Test) Winkler

Anita Maxine Test-Winkler, age 78, of Quincy, IL passed away Sunday, June 7, 2026, at Mt. Sterling Health and Rehabilitation. She was born February 17, 1948, in Moosup, CT to Lyle and Evelyn (Disciullo) Test.

Anita grew up in Perry, IL, and graduated from Perry High School in 1966.  Throughout her life, she moved between Illinois and Texas, returning to each place as different seasons of her story unfolded.

Anita lived a life shaped by love, grit, and a fierce spirit that carried her through every chapter. As a mother, she poured her whole heart into raising her three children, showing them what determination looked like in real time. She could be complicated, fiery, stubborn, and deeply loving all at once, a blend of traits that made her unforgettable. She taught her children through her actions: how to work hard, how to stand back up after being knocked down, how to keep going even when life felt impossibly heavy.  Anita also had a profound love of animals, arts and crafts and took pride in working in her yard. 

Her professional life reflected that same tenacity. She began her career in a large distribution center and worked her way into management through sheer perseverance and the respect she earned from those around her. When work injuries threatened to halt her progress, she refused to let them define her. In 1988 she moved back to Illinois to be closer to family after her son’s untimely death, and she reinvented herself. At 45, she opened a business and went to college, graduating with honors majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Criminal Justice.   Anita then sold the business and stepped boldly into her next chapter.

That chapter took her back to Texas, where she continued to grow, learn, and achieve. She earned her Microsoft programming degrees and also went on to serve as a Corrections Officer for Tarrant County. After retiring, she embraced a new passion: cleaning homes. It kept her active, gave her purpose, and allowed her to form new friendships. She found joy in the routine, pride in the work, and connection in the people she met along the way.

Beginning in 2021, as dementia began to take hold, Anita’s world slowly shifted. By 2024, she had moved to Quincy, Illinois. Through all the chaos that life can bring, and even when she could no longer fully understand it, she was deeply loved and supported. Her friends and family showed up for her in every way they could — through their physical presence as caregivers, through constant check‑ins, and through the thoughts and prayers of her siblings, all offering encouragement, patience, and understanding. Together, they navigated the complexities of dementia and the delicate balance of caring for both Anita and the caregivers who stood beside her.

As the disease progressed, the level of care she needed surpassed what even the most devoted family could provide. In her final months, Anita moved to Mt. Sterling Health and Rehab Center, where she received expert care delivered with dignity, compassion, and genuine affection. She touched the hearts of the staff just as she had touched so many throughout her life.

Anita’s life was a lesson in everything that makes us human. In true Italian fashion, she was a recipe made of a little bit of this, and a pinch of that, love and strength, what to do and what not to do, mistakes and triumphs, losses and victories, moments of getting it just right and moments of learning the hard way, to have a sense of humor and an infectious laugh. She was proof that life is not about perfection, but about resilience, reinvention, and the courage to keep moving forward. 

Her legacy is one of strength, complexity, humor, and heart, a legacy that will continue to live on in the people she loved, that loved her, and the lessons she left behind.

Anita is survived by daughters, Wendy Rawson of Quincy, IL and Rebecca (Mike) Damato, (Becky Winkler) of North Aurora, IL; grandson, Charles Russell; great grandson, Conner; Kayla Bennett (mother of Conner), brothers, Lyle Test, Jr., Brian (Leigh Ann) Test, and Steve Test; sisters, Lee McCarter and Barbara ‘Bobbie’ May; several nieces and nephews; and extended family and caregiver, Cierra Andrews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lyle and Evelyn Test; son, Richard ‘Rick’ Winkler; granddaughter, Stephanie Russell; and brother-in-law, Tom McCarter.

Dementia takes so much from the ones we love, their memories, their independence, and the simple joys that once brought them comfort. In Anita’s honor, the family is partnering with the staff at Mt. Sterling Rehabilitation Center to create a fenced and furnished outdoor space for the Memory Care Unit. This space will allow memory care residents and their caregivers to safely enjoy the outdoors, to feel the sun warm their face, to catch a snowflake as it falls, to breathe in the first scent of spring, and to watch the leaves change with the seasons.

Donations may be made by check directly to Mt. Sterling Health and Rehab at 435 Camden Road, Mt. Sterling, IL  62353, noting Outdoor Memory Care Project in the memo. Contributions may also be sent to the family via Zelle or Venmo to 630-988-2120 (Rebecca Damato) to support this project. 

Cremation rites have been accorded, and graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 10, 2026, at Wilson McCord Cemetery in Perry, IL. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.nieburfh.com. Niebur Funeral Home in Pittsfield is handling the arrangements.

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