Velma Louise Wessels (née Getz) born Aug. 23, 1925, in Tremont, Ill., died Jan. 24, 2015, at the age of 89.
Daughter of Walter and Louise Getz (Perdelwitz); sister to Edith (Pflederer), Norma (Roberts) and Marilyn (Burns); loving wife of Russell Wessels for 61 years; dear mother of Richard, Robert, Bradley and Carol; cherished grandma of Wendy, Brady, Reid, Drew and Ken; and great-grandma to Kera and Kaycee.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sisters Edith and Norma, and grandson Brady.
At the University of Illinois-Normal, Velma met and was swept off her feet by a dashing sailor named Russell. He said when he saw her, “Now, there goes a doll!” Russell and Velma wed on Nov. 2, 1946. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and physics while caring for their newborn son, then earned a Master’s in education and history at UW-Whitewater.
She was the first graduate history student inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honors fraternity and belonged to the Phi Alpha Theta national history honor society. Velma taught civics in Whitewater, where a highlight was being invited to bring her class onstage when candidate John F Kennedy made a campaign stop in 1960. She continued as a substitute teacher in the Hartland area until retirement.
Velma enjoyed gardening, cooking, golfing and curling – playing on the USA Senior Women’s Championship winning rink. A card-carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union and the League of Women Voters, Velma was passionate about politics and current affairs. She and Russell were avid campers, traveling to almost every state and spending summers on Eva Lake in Ontario, fishing and enjoying the pristine wilderness with friends and family. She completed a Quetico wilderness canoe trip at the age of 55.
The family wishes to express gratitude to the wonderful staff at Lasata Care Center and Lighthouse for their compassionate care in her last years.
A celebration of Velma’s life will be on April 25 at Redeemer United Church of Christ, W220 N4915 Town Line Rd., Sussex with a visitation at 2 p.m. and services at 3 p.m.
The Wessels family has formed Team Valkyrie to participate in The Longest Day Alzheimer’s Association Challenge on June 21. Please join us or donate in Velma’s memory at http://act.alz.org/goto/teamvalkyrie.
