Gertrude Amelia Baassler Wilson, 104, Palmyra passed away on Sunday, November 25, 2018, after a brief illness. Gertrude was born on July 29, 1914 in Fish Creek, WI, to Selma and Max Baassler. She is survived by daughters Barbara Tutton and Connie Wilson of Palmyra ; Sally (Pierre) Biron of Aix-en-Provence, France; her grandchildren David (Kathy), Stephanie Tutton, Sarah (Jarrod) Nelson; Jeffrey and Bryan Wilson and AnnMarie (Luis) Gonzalez; Eric (Estelle) and Carine Biron; and her great-grandchildren, Julia and Dillon Tutton, and Jamison and Avery Nelson, Chalten and Liam Biron and Mahe Vergne; and nieces/nephews.
Preceded in death by her parents Selma and Max Baassler; her husband, Woodrow, Sr.; son, Woodrow, Jr.; daughter, Jilene; and her brother, Carl Baassler. Gertrude’s mother died in 1923 and her father in 1934. Orphaned at a young age during the Great Depression, she lived with families in Palmyra to care for their children and perform general housekeeping tasks to earn her keep while attending school.
Gertrude graduated from Palmyra High School in 1934. After graduation she worked at Cook and Barthof’s grocery store. On August 9, 1940 she married Woodrow T. Wilson, Sr. at the Little Brown Church in the Vale, Nashua, Iowa.
She worked side by side with Woody to run the dairy farm and raise their family until his death in 2004. Her cooking and baking skills were impeccable. Every family holiday meal was held “on the hill” until her death.
She loved to knit, crochet and sew. She was a friend of the Palmyra United Methodist Church and a loyal contributor to their bake sales. In 2010, she was awarded the Special Achievement Award from the Office of Child Care & Family Res for her outstanding contributions to campus child care by donating her handiwork to programs and fundraisers.
She sold her knitting items to donate to the Wilson P/E high school scholarship because she knew the value of higher education. Her twinkling eyes and quick wit when you least expected it affected many who came to love her and wanted to be around her to glean her wisdom. She was a role model for her positive attitude and flawless optimism regardless of the circumstances.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 29th at Palmyra United Methodist Church, 122 N. 5th Street, Palmyra from 10 :00 a.m. until noon followed by a funeral service with Rev. Norman Bude officiating. A lunch will follow the service.
Private graveside services will be held at the Hillside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the P/E Wilson Scholarship % Palmyra Community Foundation or Palmyra United Methodist Church.
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