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Visitation:
4:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at St. John
United Church of Christ in Lincoln
Service:
10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30 at the church
Graveside Service: Wednesday,
June 30, 2021 at Steenbergen Cemetery, Mount Pulaski
Funeral home:
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader, Lincoln
Obituary
Selma Mae Wilham, 84 of rural
Lincoln, passed away on June 26, 2021, at
Vonderlieth Living Center in Mount Pulaski after a
courageous fight with pancreatic cancer.
Selma was born on March 29, 1937, in Marion County,
Illinois, to Glenn John and Mae (Jasper) Sigrist.
She married Lawrence Wilham on March 1, 1958. He
preceded her in death on February 9, 2019.
Lawrence and Selma were the parents of two children,
Kathy Mae Maske of Mount Pulaski, and Kevin Russell
(Kathy) of Mount Pulaski. Selma is also survived by
five grandchildren: Katie Mae (Carl) Florczyk of
Breese; Sally Jo (Alex) Norton of Daphne, AL; Thomas
Michael (Emily) Maske of Granger, IN; Kelsey Elaine
(Noah) Lindsay of Eureka; and Kourtney Rae Wilham of
Mount Pulaski. She also has seven
great-granddaughters: Anna Kate and Elyse Mae
Florczyk; Julia Jo and Reese Catherine Norton; and
Eva Ann, Ella Grace, and Molly Joy Maske. She was so
proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren
and loved spending time with them supporting them in
all of their activities.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was also
proceeded in death by her brothers Albert, Robert,
and Dallas Sigrist, and sisters-in law Louise
Baumhardt, Norma Stewart, and Ethel Spann. She is
survived by sister Janice Torbeck and sisters-in-law
Carolyn Sigrist, Juanita Sigrist, and Pearl Sigrist
as well as many treasured nieces, nephews, cousins,
and friends.
Selma and Larry farmed for nearly 50 years in the
Lincoln and Mount Pulaski area. Selma was also a
co-partner with Larry in the Kindling Box craft
business. They enjoyed their travels around Central
and Southern Illinois selling their crafts and
meeting new friends. Many local homes display their
collective handiwork. Selma served for many years on
the Mount Pulaski Christmas on Vinegar Hill planning
committee and thoroughly enjoyed beginning the
holiday season with that show each November.
In addition to the crafting business, Selma was
active at St. John United Church of Christ serving
on numerous boards and committees. She was dedicated
to the Bell and Chime Choirs for almost 40 years,
retiring only recently when her illness made
attendance too difficult. Selma had a particular
love for music, beginning organ lessons when she was
in in her 60’s. She also loved to spin rolls on her
player piano for her grandchildren and any visitors
that came to her home.
Selma heeded Christ’s command in the
Bible to serve her neighbor in any way she knew how.
She was quick to make a meal for a funeral luncheon,
call on shut-ins, or volunteer in service to others
including being a faithful 14 gallon blood donor to
the American Red Cross.
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She was a regular volunteer for Meals
on Wheels of Logan County, faithfully serving for
many years up to the time of her illness. She was
active in the Home Extension program and a volunteer
and supporter of Logan County 4-H for many years.
Selma was a lover of nature. She was
an avid flower and vegetable gardener achieving
Master Gardener through the U of I Extension
Service. She also loved birds and spent many hours
tending to her bird feeders and birdhouses. In her
final months of life, a great joy to Selma was
visiting her “deer friends” during evening drives
through Madigan Park looking for white-tailed deer.
Her friends and family will remember her for her
generous spirit, kind heart, and beautiful smile.
She took pride in every job she did, big or small.
While her entire life was filled with acts of
kindness big and small, her greatest act of kindness
occurred on June 28, 1999, when she donated a
portion of her liver to her granddaughter Kourtney.
At the time, they were the oldest-youngest living
donor duo at St. Louis Children’s/Barnes-Jewish
Hospital, Selma being 62 and Kourtney being only
seven months old. Selma eagerly anticipated
celebrating the anniversary of the transplant each
year with Kourtney.
Gratitude was a central part of
Selma’s life. Up until her final days she was still
thanking God, friends, and family for her blessings
despite her illness. In this spirit, the Wilham
family would like to extend warmest notes of
gratitude to church members of St. John United
Church of Christ, friends, neighbors, and community
members. Selma received innumerable cards, phone
calls, and in person visits which greatly enriched
the last few months of her life. The calls from
friends and neighbors lending a hand, a listening
ear, or prayers following Selma’s diagnosis will not
be forgotten We would individually like to thank
Selma’s niece Sandra Wilmert for her coordination of
these visits and constant presence. We would also
like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Selma’s hospice
nurse Ashllee who became a very treasured and
trusted friend to Selma in her last days. Selma
would say that she lived a blessed life, but to
those who knew her, we know that we were the ones
truly blessed to love and be loved by her.
Services for Selma will be held at 10:00 a.m. on
Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at St. John United Church
of Christ in Lincoln. The graveside service will be
at 2:00pm in Steenbergen Cemetery, Mount Pulaski.
Visitation will take place from 4:00-6:00pm on
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 also at the church.
Memorial donations may be made in Selma’s name to
St. John United Church of Christ in Lincoln or Zion
Lutheran School, Mount Pulaski.
Services have been entrusted to
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home, Lincoln.
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