My mother (Connie Smith) and I will always remember how energetic and outgoing Wilma was. She was an easygoing, intelligent person that could strike up a conversation at the drop of a hat (and possibly about the hat) haha.
I know how tough it can be to see someone you care about go through something as devastating as cancer, but it always helps to have a good support system in place, which I know Wilma had with her “Bosom Buddies” group of ladies that she got together with. Pam told me a lot about them; they sounded like a great group of women.
Wilma was our nextdoor neighbor at Leicester Ct., in Centreville, Va. We only stayed there for four years before moving back to Sweden, but those four years were the beginning of a long friendship – through letters – a total of 38 years.
When I yesterday found the letter from Paula (thank you so much Paula for letting us know) in my mail box, I realized that from now on, there will be no more Christmas and Easter cards from our wonderful lady Wilma.
Because that is what she was, a true lady!
Through those cards and letters I also got to know her family, Paula, Mark and Pam plus grandchildren, and great-granchildren and I would in return inform her about my children and also about life over here.
It was a true pleasure to read her well written letters, covering things from everyday life to what was going on in the rest of the world.
Wilma, my pen pal, I will miss you!
Thank you so much ,Pam, for letting me know about your Mother passing. She was a dear friend of my Mother. Living just down the hall from each other, they spent a lot of time visiting and doing things together, lunches, dinners, various activities in their apartment building. They always kept in touch even after your Mom went to live with you and with Paula. They would write and talk on the phone some. Phone was difficult as both were hard of hearing by then. (Not that my Mom would ever admit it!) Thanks for letting me share. Keeping you and family in my thoughts and prayers.
Where will I start, seventy years of memories are embedded in my heart. Mom always made sure we spent holidays and vacations visiting family and friends no matter where we lived we stayed in touch with our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. She planned trips to see everyone she loved and made sure we got to know our family and family friends.
When I was young, mom made lots of treats for her Canasta
Club and she used to make a refrigerator cake with thin chocolate cookies and home made whipped cream, I could never get enough of her home made treats. At Christmas she always made Mrs. Fountains cookies with cinnamon and sugar on top, and butter cookies from the cookie press in shapes of wreathes, stockings and Christmas trees.
We had a wonderful vacation at Nags Head shortly before our father died which gave my children a chance to know him.
Mom loved the beach and when she got a chance, she retired
to Daytona Beach to join friends, and she had the time of her life!
We couldn’t wait to visit her with our grandchildren when they
got older.
Ok Pam, do you remember when Wilma went away to a business conference and she came home. She put her tote bag down in the kitchen on the floor and it fell over and a tarantula crawled out (this is the same bag that sat at her feet on the plane!). Wilma, you and me all jumped up on the kitchen chairs, screeming like little girls until Wilma took a frying pan and squashed it!!! We must have laughed for a week about that!!
When mom was in Daytona we would take vacation every year at Christmas to go see her. Whenever we would go, she always had a plan to what we were going to do. Her favorite was Angell & Phelps candy store. You could look through the window and watch them making all their treats and then stop for a sandwich at their restaurant. Not to mention the free samples of chocolate they would pass out. We always ordered a takeout pizza from Stavros’s and got a seafood meal at either Parks or Aunt Catfish’s. Mom made sure she got us a table overlooking the river so we could watch the dolphins swim. She always showed us a good time and took us for the best food. One day to honor her, we are going back to walk on the beach and eat at one of her favorite places and of course stop by the candy store.
I think that one of my fondest memories of Wilma was when she first met Pepper. Wilma had always thought that people were just a little silly about their dogs and how they spoil them. While leaving the grocery store one day we noticed someone giving puppies away and we asked Wilma if she would like to see them. Rather reluctantly she walked over to look inside the box where there was one last puppy gazing back up at her. It was love at first sight.
Wilma was living with Pam at the time and as she reached in for this tiny little bundle of fur she turned to Pam pleading ” she is gorgeous, can I have her?”. Between the expression on her face and the light in her eyes, there was no doubt that this was a match made in heaven. Pepper quickly became her favorite child, with her own bed, blanket and pillow.
I never realized how involved Wilma was with her Bosom Buddies! That helps explain one more reason why she wanted to come back to Florida. She was a tough lady and there is no one else like her! She was an enjoyable person to be around and I will always remember how thoughtful she was to remember to send us cards at Christmas and our birthdays. Wilma was an intelligent woman; a real class act! My pleasure to have known her.
My remembrances of Wilma are as one of the Bosom Buddies. She was always upbeat, always chuckling, telling good stories, game for anything, and in later years writing great letters.
The picture of Wilma as a nun was from the Talent Show skit the BB’s performed at the 1999 “We Can Weekend” at the Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center in Leesburg, Fl. We had as much fun trying to put on those real nun’s habits and rehearsing a choreographed dance routine to the song “We Are Family” as we did performing it in front of a very enthusiastic audience of cancer survivors, caregivers, nurses, and family members. I must say, the BB’s were the hit of the show and talked about the next year when we dressed as clowns for the Carnival-themed skit. Wilma was front and center in that, too.
There were lots of great experiences and lots of laughs over the years. But the prevailing thought for me was what an inspiration BBWilma was. Making the effort to attend and, then finishing all of the races at her age was truly amazing. She was not an established athlete that I knew of nor was she part of any kind of training or exercising plan. Most of us walked our first 5k race in 1998 when Wilma was 77. This continued until she was well into her 80’s, I believe. Wilma will always be a part of what has been for me the silver lining of surviving cancer and the treatments. BBStrong!
Of course I have many memories, but one that stands out is that she grew up very early in the century. As she got older, technology passed her by. She used an IBM Selectric typewriter while the rest of us were using computers.
When I got cheap telephone service I would call her to chat. She always said “Well, I’d better let you go. I don’t want to run up your phone bill”. My cost was about a penny a minute. I told her I think I can afford that!
Thanks!
Good post.
My mother (Connie Smith) and I will always remember how energetic and outgoing Wilma was. She was an easygoing, intelligent person that could strike up a conversation at the drop of a hat (and possibly about the hat) haha.
I know how tough it can be to see someone you care about go through something as devastating as cancer, but it always helps to have a good support system in place, which I know Wilma had with her “Bosom Buddies” group of ladies that she got together with. Pam told me a lot about them; they sounded like a great group of women.
Wilma was our nextdoor neighbor at Leicester Ct., in Centreville, Va. We only stayed there for four years before moving back to Sweden, but those four years were the beginning of a long friendship – through letters – a total of 38 years.
When I yesterday found the letter from Paula (thank you so much Paula for letting us know) in my mail box, I realized that from now on, there will be no more Christmas and Easter cards from our wonderful lady Wilma.
Because that is what she was, a true lady!
Through those cards and letters I also got to know her family, Paula, Mark and Pam plus grandchildren, and great-granchildren and I would in return inform her about my children and also about life over here.
It was a true pleasure to read her well written letters, covering things from everyday life to what was going on in the rest of the world.
Wilma, my pen pal, I will miss you!
Thank you so much ,Pam, for letting me know about your Mother passing. She was a dear friend of my Mother. Living just down the hall from each other, they spent a lot of time visiting and doing things together, lunches, dinners, various activities in their apartment building. They always kept in touch even after your Mom went to live with you and with Paula. They would write and talk on the phone some. Phone was difficult as both were hard of hearing by then. (Not that my Mom would ever admit it!) Thanks for letting me share. Keeping you and family in my thoughts and prayers.
Where will I start, seventy years of memories are embedded in my heart. Mom always made sure we spent holidays and vacations visiting family and friends no matter where we lived we stayed in touch with our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. She planned trips to see everyone she loved and made sure we got to know our family and family friends.
When I was young, mom made lots of treats for her Canasta
Club and she used to make a refrigerator cake with thin chocolate cookies and home made whipped cream, I could never get enough of her home made treats. At Christmas she always made Mrs. Fountains cookies with cinnamon and sugar on top, and butter cookies from the cookie press in shapes of wreathes, stockings and Christmas trees.
We had a wonderful vacation at Nags Head shortly before our father died which gave my children a chance to know him.
Mom loved the beach and when she got a chance, she retired
to Daytona Beach to join friends, and she had the time of her life!
We couldn’t wait to visit her with our grandchildren when they
got older.
Ok Pam, do you remember when Wilma went away to a business conference and she came home. She put her tote bag down in the kitchen on the floor and it fell over and a tarantula crawled out (this is the same bag that sat at her feet on the plane!). Wilma, you and me all jumped up on the kitchen chairs, screeming like little girls until Wilma took a frying pan and squashed it!!! We must have laughed for a week about that!!
When mom was in Daytona we would take vacation every year at Christmas to go see her. Whenever we would go, she always had a plan to what we were going to do. Her favorite was Angell & Phelps candy store. You could look through the window and watch them making all their treats and then stop for a sandwich at their restaurant. Not to mention the free samples of chocolate they would pass out. We always ordered a takeout pizza from Stavros’s and got a seafood meal at either Parks or Aunt Catfish’s. Mom made sure she got us a table overlooking the river so we could watch the dolphins swim. She always showed us a good time and took us for the best food. One day to honor her, we are going back to walk on the beach and eat at one of her favorite places and of course stop by the candy store.
Thing I remember most about Wilma was her willingness to take me into her house and really help me out when I had a fall out with my parents.
I loved her “happy hour” in Centreville, Va where she drank her wine from a coffee mug and for appetizers she fried smelts!!
She was the best replacement Mom to me who always had a smile on her face and a laugh to share.
In my heart always, Wilma. You will be missed.
I think that one of my fondest memories of Wilma was when she first met Pepper. Wilma had always thought that people were just a little silly about their dogs and how they spoil them. While leaving the grocery store one day we noticed someone giving puppies away and we asked Wilma if she would like to see them. Rather reluctantly she walked over to look inside the box where there was one last puppy gazing back up at her. It was love at first sight.
Wilma was living with Pam at the time and as she reached in for this tiny little bundle of fur she turned to Pam pleading ” she is gorgeous, can I have her?”. Between the expression on her face and the light in her eyes, there was no doubt that this was a match made in heaven. Pepper quickly became her favorite child, with her own bed, blanket and pillow.
I never realized how involved Wilma was with her Bosom Buddies! That helps explain one more reason why she wanted to come back to Florida. She was a tough lady and there is no one else like her! She was an enjoyable person to be around and I will always remember how thoughtful she was to remember to send us cards at Christmas and our birthdays. Wilma was an intelligent woman; a real class act! My pleasure to have known her.
My remembrances of Wilma are as one of the Bosom Buddies. She was always upbeat, always chuckling, telling good stories, game for anything, and in later years writing great letters.
The picture of Wilma as a nun was from the Talent Show skit the BB’s performed at the 1999 “We Can Weekend” at the Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center in Leesburg, Fl. We had as much fun trying to put on those real nun’s habits and rehearsing a choreographed dance routine to the song “We Are Family” as we did performing it in front of a very enthusiastic audience of cancer survivors, caregivers, nurses, and family members. I must say, the BB’s were the hit of the show and talked about the next year when we dressed as clowns for the Carnival-themed skit. Wilma was front and center in that, too.
There were lots of great experiences and lots of laughs over the years. But the prevailing thought for me was what an inspiration BBWilma was. Making the effort to attend and, then finishing all of the races at her age was truly amazing. She was not an established athlete that I knew of nor was she part of any kind of training or exercising plan. Most of us walked our first 5k race in 1998 when Wilma was 77. This continued until she was well into her 80’s, I believe. Wilma will always be a part of what has been for me the silver lining of surviving cancer and the treatments. BBStrong!
Of course I have many memories, but one that stands out is that she grew up very early in the century. As she got older, technology passed her by. She used an IBM Selectric typewriter while the rest of us were using computers.
When I got cheap telephone service I would call her to chat. She always said “Well, I’d better let you go. I don’t want to run up your phone bill”. My cost was about a penny a minute. I told her I think I can afford that!