Evelyn Wild

Evelyn H. Wild, 98, of rural Lansing, IA, died Wednesday, July 27, 2016, at the Good Samaritan Center in Waukon, IA. Funeral services will be held Monday, August 1st at 11:00 am at Mt. Hope Presbyterian Church in rural New Albin, IA, with Pastor Paul Burgess officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 3:00 to 6:00 pm Sunday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.

Evelyn Hope Wild was born on February 12, 1918, in rural New Albin, IA, the daughter of Fred and Ethel Hope (Sadler) Weymiller. She attended the rural "Sand Bank" elementary school and graduated from New Albin High School where she drove a school bus during her time as a student. On March 3, 1937, Evelyn was united in marriage to Harris Edward Wild in a ceremony held at her parents' home. Evelyn and Harris farmed together in rural Lansing, IA, on some fertile Iowa River bottom ground for many years. She was an integral part of all aspects of running the farm spending time on the tractor in the fields and milking cows every day. After her milking days were over, Evelyn spent years driving her Farmall Super C through the cattle yard each and every night and opening the gate to help out around the farm, not giving it up until she was well into her 90s. Many Angus bull fights were broken up with her and her broom. Evelyn also saw to the needs of her family and their home by creating beautiful embroidered pillowcases and towels, being a good cook, and raising large gardens of vegetables and flowers. She loved the life of a farmer and mother and had an excellent calming sense around babies. As the first born daughter of 11 children, she followed in her own mother's footsteps with her natural motherly instincts. There was hardly a time in which Evelyn wasn't mothering - whether for her siblings, own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or neighborhood children. She was a true mother in every sense of the word - caring, loving, and understanding. In spite of the hard work and long days she was often heard singing or humming one of her favorite songs as she moved from task to task.

Evelyn was a life-long and very active member of Mt. Hope Presbyterian Church. Her handiwork projects included many pieces of beautiful embroidered decorative quilts that she made and gave to family and close friends as presents. She made her home a welcome stop for all of her family as well as their friends and everyone looked forward to stopping by for one of her famous chocolate chip cookies or a piece of graham cracker pie out of her favorite blue pan.

Survivors include her six children: Betty Larsen of Waukon, IA, Charlene Grady of Prairie du Chien, WI, Karen (Duane) Johnson of Milton, WI, and Richard Wild, Randy (Louise) Wild, and Robert (Bonnie) Wild, all of Lansing; eighteen grandchildren: Kevin and Dick Larsen, Mary (Corky) Keatley, Diane (Steve) Carnesi, Ann (Jason) Miller, Steve, Todd (Brianne), Laurie, Doug, Nick, Brooke, Jenna, Bobbi Jo, and Shelby Wild, James and Jeffery Grady, James Nolting, and Amy (Keith) Bresnahan; thirteen great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; a sister Nancy (Thomas) Collins of Racine, WI; and two brothers: Donald and Ronald (Lois) Weymiller, both of New Albin. Evelyn is preceded in death by her parents; her husband Harris, who died in 1986; a daughter-in-law Diane Wild; two sons-in-law: Carlton Larsen and Donald Grady; a grandson David Nolting; five sisters: Helen Campbell, Lorna Vichlach, Betty Smerud, Shirley Bulman, and Laura "Hope" Griffin; and two brothers: Fred and Lee Weymiller.