Joan M. Wilhelm

Joan M. Wilhelm, 75, of Fort Wayne, Ind., died Wednesday, December 3, 2014 with family by her side.

She was born to the late Gustave Aloysius and Agnes Strock Stoeckley, January 6, 1939. Joan graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1957 and married the late David J. Wilhelm in 1958.

Joan attended Ravenscroft College and worked as a hairstylist before staying home to raise seven children. She later worked at Arcola Elementary School, Renaissance Village, SuperMarket Service, and Meijer Department Store until retiring in 2005. Joan was an active member of St. Patrick Catholic Church of Arcola where she served as a Eucharistic minister, CCD children's religious education teacher, treasurer and assistant sexton of the St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery, and officer of the Rosary Society. She served on the Ladies Auxiliary of the Arcola Volunteer Fire Department, was a Cub Scout leader, and a member of the unofficial Busy Bees Club. She loved spending time with her expansive family, reading, playing card games, solving crossword puzzles, and, reluctantly, "facebooking" with family and friends.


Joan is survived by her children: David Wilhelm (Carola Petty), Linda Wilhelm, Richard Wilhelm (Yolanda), Stephen Wilhelm (Deanna), Robert Wilhelm (Teri), all of Fort Wayne; Amy Harris (Doug) of Avilla; and Debra Mitchell (David) of Cleveland Heights, OH. She also is survived by 19 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Her surviving siblings include sisters Gloria, Florine, and Barb; and brothers Bob and Tom. She was preceded in death by four siblings, Clarence, Ginny, Bernard (Buddy), and Herman (Tars); and a granddaughter (Brandie).


The family wishes to thank the doctors and nursing staff of Lutheran Hospital of Indiana for their dedication and compassionate care for Joan in her last days.


In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation, 341 W. 38th Street, Suite 501, New York, NY 10018 or to St. Patrick Catholic Church of Arcola in support of the Cemetery Fund, 12305 Arcola Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46818.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sunday at DeMoney Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City with a Rosary at 8 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, December 8, 2014 at St. Patrick Catholic Church of Arcola with calling an hour prior. Burial will follow at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery on Bass Road.