Irma G. Wilson

Irma G. Wilson, 97, of Davenport, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 1, 2012 at her home in Silvercrest in Davenport. Funeral services will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 in the Runge Mortuary Chapel. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service at the mortuary. Private burial will be in Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Scott County Humane Society. Online condolences may be made at www.rungemortuary.com.

She was born January 19, 1915 to Herman and Lydia (Keller) Plambeck on the family farm on Utica Ridge Road in Davenport. She and her family were members of Summit Presbyterian Church. She attended District #2, better known as Crombie School. She graduated from Davenport High School in 1933. During her high school years she was active in 4-H and was the Scott County Health Champion. After high school she taught school for two years before attending Iowa State College for two years. In order to pay her way through college, she worked as a domestic for a family of four, cooking and cleaning, while studying for college.

On July 20, 1940 she married Clarence M. Wilson at St. John’s Methodist Church. He preceded her in death on September 26, 1986. Clarence was the Farm Editor for the Davenport Daily Times, then became a writer for the Farm Bureau, taking them to many places. While living in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, she taught students with cerebral palsy for ten years. She was a very compassionate teacher and received many awards and prizes from her co-workers and student’s parents. Irma said they moved 13 times until coming back to Davenport in 1985. She later was a volunteer at Jackson School, assisting students with reading.

Her hobbies included playing scrabble and working jigsaw puzzles, especially on Sundays with her niece, Kathy Cirillo. Her life-long love was for all God’s little creatures. She loved to feed the animals and take care of them.

Survivors include a sister, Elna Williams of Roswell, Georgia, nieces and nephews Kathy Cirillo and Judy and Steve Stephens, all of Davenport, Linda Hughes, Mary Munger, George Paulk, and Larry Pfitzenmeier.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters Elizabeth Schmidt and Helen Pfitzenmeier, and a brother, Herb Plambeck, who was a farm broadcaster in Des Moines, WWII correspondent, and driving force in founding Living History Farms in Des Moines.

The family would like to express their special thanks to Silvercrest’s Ambassadors and staff.