Wilma Emma Rosebraugh Anderson, 89, of Oelwein, passed away Monday, August 19, 2019. She was born March 2, 1930 at Charleston, Illinois, the daughter of Charles and Etta (Skinner) Rosebraugh. She was baptized and confirmed at the Methodist Church in Charleston, IL.
She attended a one room schoolhouse, North Center, in 7 Hickory Twp., IL and in Mullen. Wilma graduated from Charleston High school in 1948 and was a 1952 graduate of Eastern Illinois State Teachers College with a BS in Home Economics and Art. She taught three years of Vocational Home Economics, Art and adult classes at Minier and Morton, IL. She received her Master’s in Art at Upper Iowa University and taught Art for several years in Oelwein.
Wilma married Carl O. Anderson on June 25, 1955 in Charleston, IL. They farmed at Deer Creek, IL until moving to a farm at Chenoa, IL in 1959. In 1962 they purchased a farm outside Oelwein where they raised a family of four sons and a daughter. She was an active member of the Zion Lutheran Church where she served as a deacon, Sunday School teacher and on church council. She was a 10-year member of the Happy Helpers 4-H club growing up in Illinois and served as a leader in Jefferson and Scott Twp. In later years she turned to hobbies of flower and vegetable gardening, designing personal greeting cards, reading, putting puzzles together, serving as Jefferson Twp. Election Board Chair, and belonging to the Black Hawk Button Club.
She will be remembered by her children Greg (Diane), Oro Valley, AZ; Eric, Manchester: Bruce, Onalaska, WI; Henry (Suzanne) Baxter and Rosetta (Matt) Oelwein, 9 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, many loving nieces and nephews and a sister-in-law Virginia Goecker of Clarinda.
She was preceded in death by her husband Carl, her parents, an infant brother Charles, two sisters Charlene Dickey and Loretta Morton.
The funeral service will be Saturday, August 24 at 10:30am Zion Lutheran Church, Oelwein. Visitation Friday, August 23, Geilenfeld-Buehner Funeral Home in Oelwein from 4-7pm. Interment will be in Long Grove Cemetery at Maynard. Memorials may be directed to Zion Lutheran Church or Oelwein Public Library Foundation.
