Obituaries : Marjorie Wilson

Marge Wilson

VINTON – Marjorie L. “Marge” Wilson, 91, of Vinton, died Monday, November 8, 2010, at her apartment in the Vinton Lutheran Home Assisted Living complex due to complications of age. Marge and her daughters appreciated the support and care given to her by the staff of the Lutheran Home and the caregivers from Iowa Hospice, who helped Marge during her final days.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 19, 2010, at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home in Vinton with The Reverend Ron Sumption officiating. Private family inurnment will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Vinton. A reception will follow the memorial service at the Vinton Lutheran Home Community Room, 1415 2nd Avenue, Vinton.

Marge was born in Vinton on April 16, 1919, the daughter of Lewis and Jessie Watts Eggleston. She was a lifelong resident of Vinton with the exception of the years she spent in Iowa City, where she attended the University of Iowa and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietary Science.

Marge was prepared to use her college degree in a professional capacity and had accepted a job at a hospital in New York state, but before she could take up her new duties, she met Jim Wilson of Vinton. Following a brief courtship, the couple was married in Vinton on November 12, 1941, just a few days before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

When Jim joined the Army, Marge took over the family business, Wilson Insurance, and successfully ran the business while Jim was overseas. When he returned, they started a family and immersed themselves in the Vinton community as volunteers. Marge was an active member of the community, serving on the Board of Directors for the library, and also in many other volunteer roles in the American Legion Auxiliary, Mentor Literature Club and other organizations. She was an avid golfer and loved to play bridge, participating in several different bridge clubs throughout the years.

Marge was preceded in death by her husband, Jim, in 1998; her brother, Ken Eggleston; and her sister, Ruth Cullen.

She is survived by her daughters: Susie Wilson of Los Angeles, CA; Mary Wilson of Kansas City, KS; and Jean (Jim Boles) Wilson of Minneapolis, MN; grandchildren Tina (Tony) Dotson Galterio of Golden, CO; and Lisa (Cliff) Dotson Stephenson of Los Angeles, CA; great-grandson Cooper Stephenson; sister Helen Berry of Vinton; and a wide circle of friends who will cherish her memory.

A memorial fund has been established in her name at the Vinton Public Library, an institution she frequented and supported during her lifetime.

Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home of Vinton is caring for Marge and her family. Condolences may be left at www.vsrfh.com.