Dawn's Desk

I would like to ask you (my friends) to please pray for our family at this time. We lost a very special lady this week. My mom and my siblings with be flying to Iowa for the funeral. I ask that you pray for their safe travels as well. 

Wilma Snell (My Special Grandma)

August 26, 1923 - January 27, 2013

We sure will miss you Grandma!

Wilma Grace (Lenz) Snell, daughter of Nicholas and Verna (Horton) Lenz was born on August 26, 1923 on a farm in Westport Township, Dickinson County, Iowa. 

Wilma grew up on a farm that was originally her Great-Grandparents’ farm. Wilma attended grade school in Westport #9 and high school in Excelsior and Lake Park. 

On June 29, 1941 Wilma married Dale William Snell at the Methodist parsonage in Worthington, Minnesota. Wilma and Dale helped on the farm of Dale’s father. 

In 1943 Dale was enlisted in the Army. After Wilma lived with her parents for four long lonely months without her new husband, she traveled by train to move to Camp Beale, California to be with Dale. Wilma and Dale lived off base in an apartment in Live Oak.

Wilma and Dale moved back to Iowa to run the family farm, after six months of service due to Dale’s Dad having a farming accident. Wilma and Dale moved into their original home and son, Lenny Leroy was born on March 11, 1944 and daughter, Becky Jean, was born October 6, 1946. Wilma loved being a wife and mother. She enjoyed farming with her husband, Dale, and her children. 

Wilma and Dale decided to give up farming after twenty-two years and purchased a home in Lake Park in 1963. They operated the Sunny Side Café and also the Lake Park Carstensen Locker Plant. In June of 1965 they sold their home and café and moved to Arnolds Park, Iowa where Wilma became self employed providing cleaning services and catering dinner parties. She loved helping people and continued this for the next thirty five years until she retired in 2001. 

Wilma attended the Calvary United Methodist Church in Arnolds Park. She served on the Arnolds Park City Council and marched on the steps of Washington D.C. She organized many card games, barn dances, and outings with her family and friends. Wilma was the one who built the cabinets in her home, put in bathrooms and built raised flooring. She painted and put siding on houses. She rented houses and sewed most of her own clothes. She served school lunches. On many days you would find Wilma smiling, chatting, spending time on the phone, giving her love out to everyone and spending many hours with her family. Wilma loved to garden. Whenever you stopped at her home, she was all smiles and insisted you stay for coffee or dinner. We will miss her deeply.

Wilma passed away at the Community Memorial Health Center in Hartley, Iowa on January 27, 2013 at eighty nine years of age. 

Wilma is survived by her daughter-in-law, Linda Rouse from North Carolina; sons-in-law, Roger (Vickie) Werner from Spirit Lake, Iowa, Roger (Sheryl) Schipull from Hardy, Iowa; grandchildren, Tamie (Mike) Joiner, Troy (Pam) Iverson, Tonja (Mark) Vaughan, Dawn (Tony) Hess, Mike (Stacie) Werner, Scott (Tammy) Werner, Kim (Troy) Tolman; 19 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Mildred Willordson of Oregon; nephew, John Lenz of Milford, Iowa.

Wilma was preceded in death by her husband, Dale; son, Lenny; daughter, Becky; her mother, Verna, and father, Nicholas.

Services for 89-year-old Wilma Snell of Arnolds Park and Milford will be Thursday, Jan. 31st, at 10:30am at the funeral home.  Visitation will be Wednesday, Jan. 30th, beginning after 3pm with family present from 5-7pm at the funeral home. Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake in charge of arrangements.