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Russell, Wilma M.
Wilma M. Russell, 99, of Willow Gardens Care Center in Marion, died Wednesday, July 6, 2011, at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids, after a short illness. Wilma would have been 100 on July 11th. She was always ahead of her time!!
Wilma was born July 11, 1911, to Homer and May (Allen) Hanna, in the family home in Cass Township. After graduation from Anamosa High School she attended Cornell College in Mount Vernon and subsequently earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls.
She began her career as a social worker at the Roadside Settlement House in Des Moines followed by many years of teaching English, music and drama at Letts and several other Eastern Iowa schools, including Morley, Anamosa, Olin and Wyoming. She was most proud of her students at Morley who competed successfully in both state speech and music contests. After receiving certification in Library Science from the University of Iowa she continued her career as a librarian at several schools before retiring as librarian for the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in Vinton.
Early in her musical career she played the piano for the silent movies at the Anamosa Theater. Her description of that experience was that she played with one hand and cried with the other. For many years she served as organist at the Anamosa United Church of Christ. She was an avid golfer and bridge player and traveled extensively. She reveled in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her daughter, Judith of Denver, Colo.; her son, James (Mary) of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Amy Geiger (Stuart), Curtis and Matthew, all of Cedar Rapids; eight great-grandchildren; stepniece, Gertrude Folkerts of Anamosa; and nephews, Joe Vermedahl (Vicki) of Duncan, Okla., and David Vermedahl (Lisa) of Vinton.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and her sister, Laura Hanna Vermedahl.
Visitation and 100th birthday celebration will be held Monday evening, July 11, at Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa, from 4 until 7. Private burial will be at a later time.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Anamosa United Church of Christ or Friends of the Anamosa Public Library.
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