Wilma L. Wilson, 87

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Wilma L. Wilson, 87, of Greenville, died Sunday, June 2, 2019, at 7:02 a.m. at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in O'Fallon, with her family at her side.

Visitation will be held Friday, June 7, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Greenville Free Methodist Church. 

Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 8, at 2:30 p.m. at the church with Pastor Deb Somerville and Pastor Greg Groves co-officiating. Interment will be held in Mt. Auburn Cemetery.

Mrs. Wilson was born Aug. 19, 1931, to the late Herman and Beth (Williams) Baker of Marion, IN. She married Jim Wilson on Aug. 19, 1953, at the College Wesleyan Methodist Church in Marion, and he survives.

Completing three years of her college education at Marion College in Marion, IN, she earned her bachelor and master's degrees in music education from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.

She and her husband moved to Greenville in Sept. 1957, when Jim joined the music faculty at Greenville College. During that time, she taught elementary music in Bond County. 

After the birth of both of their daughters, she joined the faculty in Hillsboro, where she remained until her retirement in 1993.

She and her husband were active in the music ministry at the local Free Methodist Church, where they served for 25 years. She served as an organist at the Presbyterian Church in Greenville for 26 years. She was a member of Baroque Folk, a recorder group affiliated with the Vandalia State House from 1994 to 2014. She played the tenor and soprano recorders and the harpsichord. 

Her special joys were family, travel, reading and attending concerts. She was a loving, supportive and gracious Christian woman. She exemplified the best examples of dedication, integrity, faithfulness and learning. Her music skill was exceptional in both piano and organ, and she used her gifts to minister for hundreds of church services, concerts, children's choirs, weddings and funerals.

She assisted in preparing children's music for Lillenas Publishing Company. She arranged numerous choral pieces. Her family is so thankful to have had such a wonderful wife and mother.

Mrs. Wilson memorized scriptures throughout her life and passed on that tradition to her family, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him." Psalm 28:7.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by two children, Carol Ann Wilson (Al Shoultz) of Scurry, TX, and Mary Beth (Todd) Harper of Ballwin, MO; grandchildren, Elizabeth Lee Shoultz of Fayetteville, AR, Andrew Evans Shoultz of Scurry, TX, and Connor James Harper of Ballwin, MO.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Eleanor (Baker) Robinson.

Memorials may be made to Greenville Free Methodist Church or the Simple Room.

Online condolences may be left at www.donnellwiegand.com.