Verla Marie (Hartman) Wilson (2018)

ALCORN, BLOOMQUIST, BROWN, FARR, FERGUSON, GAWARECKI, HARTMAN, MARDEL, OSBORN-TUCKER, PIATT, SCOTT, WILSON

Posted By: Shirley Keating (email)
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:04:36

Camino del Sol Funeral Chapel
Sun City West, Arizona

Verla Marie Wilson
March 28, 1930 – September 13, 2018

Verla Marie Wilson was born March 28, 1930 in Winterset Iowa, the second child of Sidney Jennings Hartman and Dicie Marie Piatt. When Verla was six years old her family was saddened by the sudden death of her mother Dicie. Sid raised the three girls, Mary, Verla, and Velma on his own with occasional hired help until 1942 when he married Dicie’s widowed cousin F. Inez Bloomquist Brown who had three sons, Bob, Don, and Gail. Verla told many touching and amusing stories of life in a blended family, the fun of having both sisters and brothers, and a step mother who became her real mother.

Verla attended Winterset High School where she was selected to be the representative to the American Legion Auxiliary Iowa Girls State. After she graduated in 1948, Verla started her working career as a medical secretary at Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, IA. On November 19, 1949 Verla married her high school sweetheart Arnold “Arnie” Wilson at the United Presbyterian Church in Winterset. From 1949 to 1959 they followed Arnie’s career as a radio engineer to LaPorte IN, Creston IA, Maryville MO, Atlantic IA. Arnie then joined the Philco Co. and later the Civil Service as an electronics communications engineer, and the family moved to Guam, Hawaii, Rome NY, and Harrisonville, MO.

Verla enjoyed a variety of administrative support jobs including a law firm in Atlantic Iowa, GE in Utica NY, Basloe, Levin & Cuccaro International Insurance Adjusters of Utica, Richards-Gebaur AFB, and the Cass County Library of Harrisonville. From 1974-1980 while in Harrisonville, Verla and Arnie built, owned, and operated a radio station KIEE-FM. Arnie ran the physical operations and Verla ran the office. After they sold the radio station in 1980 they devoted themselves to community work, the Methodist Church, and the Lions Club. They eventually returned to Rome NY to be near children and grandchildren. While in Rome Verla was a Literacy Volunteer of America, tutoring adults and teenagers to read and write. She was active in the Ft. Stanwix Chapter of Garden Clubs International, where she held offices, served as a juror, and won many red, white, blue, and Best in Show ribbons.

In 1995 Verla and Arnie retired to Sun City, AZ where they continued their work with the Lions and Verla volunteered at the Lions Vision Center. For her work she received the Melvin Jones Award, the highest honor in Lions International. Verla also enjoyed the local Ikebana club and entered her arrangements in juried shows.

Verla was preceded in death by her husband Arnie and his siblings, her parents, a daughter Julie Marie Wilson, a grandson David Gawarecki, and siblings Mary Hunt, Robert Brown, and Gail Brown.

Those left to honor Verla’s memory are her children Linda Mardel and her partner Fred Scott of Sun City AZ, Bradley Arnold Wilson of Rochester NY, and a grandson Jason Gawarecki and his fiancé Brenda Ferguson of Baldwinsville NY. She is also survived by her sister Velma Alcorn of Des Moines IA and her brother Don Brown and his wife Catherine of Wisconsin Rapids WI, sisters in law Jean Brown of West De Moines IA, Lilian Brown, and Carolyn Farr of Winterset IA, many cousins and nieces and nephews, many of whom referred to themselves as “your favorite” niece or nephew, and a dear lifelong friend and family member Ethel Lee Osborn-Tucker of Winterset IA.