Billie Jean Umbach 1976-2011

UMBACH JEFFREY WINK

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 6/20/2011 at 20:28:42

Sioux City Journal
19 May 2011

ANTHON, Iowa -- Billie Umbach, 34, of Anthon passed away Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at a Sioux City hospital after fighting a courageous 5 1/2-year journey against melanoma. She was surrounded by her loving family and friends.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Anthon, with the Rev. Terry Roder officiating. Burial will be in Mount St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Anthon. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. Friday, with a vigil service at 7 p.m., at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Armstrong Funeral Home in Anthon.

Billie Jean Umbach was born Sept. 8, 1976, at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Sioux City, the daughter of Larry and Karen (Jeffrey) Wink. She was raised in Anthon, where as a youth she was a high achieving 4-H member of the Anthon Advancers 4-H club. She graduated from Maple Valley Anthon-Oto High School with the class of 1995. While in school she accelerated academically, was active as a cheerleader and was a member of the color guard, high school band and other school activities. After high school, Billie attended Omaha College of Health Sciences for two years in preparation of becoming a dental assistant. She attended Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa, for an additional two years, obtaining her degree in dental hygiene.

She began her hygienist career at Onawa (Iowa) Family Dentistry. She cherished her relationships with Dr. Geilenne, Dr. Duarte and every co-worker, and enjoyed every day as a dental hygienist. Billie never gave up hope of returning to the job she loved, but declining health made it necessary to retire in January 2011.

On Nov. 23, 2001, Billie married her high school sweetheart, Lincoln Umbach, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Anthon. On June 4, 2005, the couple were blessed with their only child, Keegan LaThomas. The couple enjoyed parenting, taking family vacations and every moment spent together.

Billie was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. She enjoyed scrapbooking, photography, golf, gardening, vacationing and bonfires with friends. Billie loved celebrating Christmas and the Fourth of July. She loved cooking and baking, especially decorating sugar cookies for all holidays. She treasured spending time with family and friends and enjoyed playing cards and board games. Above all, she loved her family, especially her beloved husband and young son.

After she was diagnosed with cancer, Billie began the Wild Angels Relay for Life team. Now, after 5 1/2 years, the team is more than 200 members strong. She cherished the hours devoted to raising money for the American Cancer Society to aid in the fight for a cure for all cancers. She and her Wild Angels team have raised $70,000 for the American Cancer Society. In 2009, Billie served as the honorary spokeswoman for the Relay for Life event.

Survivors left to cherish their memories of Billie include her husband, Lincoln, and son, Keegan, and his puppy, "Paws"; her father and mother, Larry and Karen Wink of Anthon; her sister, Jaclynn Clausen and her husband, Kevin, of Kansas City, Mo., and their children, Brylei Jean and Bo Jacob; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Tom and Janice Umbach of Anthon; her grandmother, Eileen Jeffrey of Correctionville, Iowa; her great-grandmother, Maxine Wright of Correctionville; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends lovingly known as "Team Billie."

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the "Billie for Keegan" memorial fund at Heritage Bank in Anthon.