Nellie Wilkinson

Nellie Myrle Wilkinson died in Joliet, Ilinois on June 26, 2006, following a short illness. Nellie, one of nine children of John Wesley and Edith Iola (Ridlen) Wilson, was born near Hastings, Iowa, on August 22, 1912. Nellie graduated from Henderson High School in 1931 and enrolled at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. Following graduation from college, she taught for two years at Benton, a one-room eight grade country school in Mills County, Iowa.
Nellie married Marlin Willard "Wink" Wilkinson on June 27, 1935 at her parent's home just west of the Wesley Chapel Church near Hastings, Iowa. Their marriage was blessed with sons Larry Lee and Lynn Willard and daughter Judith Diane. Due to her husband's career, they moved from Emerson, Iowa to Beatrice, Nebraska in 1946 and then to Hoffman, Illinois in 1951.
Following twenty-five years as a homemaker, Nellie attained another college degree and resumed teaching second grade at Carlyle, Illinois, in 1959. She received a Masters degree from Greenville College in 1973. Nell and Wink retired in 1975 and moved to Sun City, Arizona, where she became head of the ceramics club, provided leadership in the many recreation center activities, taught in an Indian school and participated with her husband in round dancing, swimming, walking clubs and the Methodist Church activities. More recently Nellie successfully wrote many short stories recalling her youth as an Iowa farm girl and her views on today's everyday situations.
Nell and Wink had been married for 65 years when he died on May 31, 2000. Nell was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Elva Nyren and Lois Yates, brothers Harold, Ben and Marion Wilson, and daughter-in-law Janet Wilkinson. Nell is survived by a daughter Judith Nossaman of Bristow, VA, and sons Larry Wilkinson of Shorewood, IL, and Lynn Wilkinson and his wife Carol of Colorado Springs, CO; ten grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren; sisters Tacye Pedersen of Red Oak, IA, Beth Miller of Golden, CO, and brother John Wilson of Hastings, IA; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.