Nolan and Wilma welcomed their first baby, Janice Kay in July of 1940. Sadly, their baby died of SIDS on Dec 31,1940. Wilma quietly grieved the loss of her baby, her entire life. Two more daughters were born to Nolan and Wilma, Janet Sue in Dec 1943 and Donna Jo in April 1947. Nolan and Wilma were a military family and Nolan served in the Army during WWII. They traveled throughout the United States and lived in Japan. Nolan and Wilma retired from Cupertino, California in 1975 and moved back to their roots in Oklahoma. The purchased a home in Camargo, OK, and lived there until Nolans death in 1994. Wilma briefly lived in Woodward from 1994 to 1996. In 1996, Wilma moved to Norman to live closer to her granddaughter Lisa.
Wilma loved her church, her faith, her family, working on genealogy, sewing, reading, preparing for family reunions. Wilma and her cousin Voncille worked for 8 years on a treasured family heirloom genealogy book The Descendants of William Atterbery . She spent many hours traveling, researching public records, hiking though cemeteries, and looking through microfiche. This book was one of Wilmas greatest achievements.
Wilma had many wonderful qualities, she was a very honest person, loyal , faithful, a devoted wife and sister, caring grandmother. She excelled in research, genealogy, family history, eradicating Lisas laundry, doing the Microwave Shuffle every morning at 7 am for 7 years straight, baking cookies, fudge and divinity, walking daily, secretly giving the spoiled dogs treats even when we told her not to, watching OETA, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, Archie Bunker, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lawrence Welk, and The Carol Burnett show. Grandmother, I am so glad we had this time together, to have a cry and a laugh or two. You will be deeply and sadly missed, for the rest of my living days. I will never forget the unconditional love you showed me, the grace you showed me, and the strength you showed me. I love you.