Wilma Grace Ward

Wilma Grace Ward was born December 12, 1925 at the farm home of John Anderson and Laura Bell (Downs) Ward in Northeast Dekalb County, Missouri.

When she was 3 years old, the family moved to Campbell Co. Wyoming, near Gillette, where they lived for 12 years.

She had one brother, John Kenneth, who was born in Wyoming. He died in Denver ,Colorado in1964.

In May, 1940, Wilma’s mother died in Wyoming, and the family moved to Missouri to live on the farm of John’s father, who had died in April of 1940.

She graduated from Maysville High School in 1943 as an honor student.

There Wilma met her husband to be, Merlin Owen.

They were married in California in December, 1944.

This was during WWII and all the eligible young men were in the military service.

He was in the Navy.

Wilma worked in Maysville following graduation, for Edna Pollard, who was a Newspaper publisher.

A year later, she went to Kansas City and worked in the Pratt-Whitney Aircraft Plant until December of 1944, when she traveled to California to be married.

While in California, she worked at the Consolidated Aircraft Plant, until Merlin was shipped to the South Pacific in may, 1945.

Wilma then returned to Missouri and worked in the K.C. office of the Wonder Bread Bakery, until returning to maysville to await the birth of their first child in January,1946, and Merlin’s return and discharge from the US Navy.

They lived on a farm southeast of Maysville, one year before they bought their family farm home north of Cameron in late 1946.

Wilma was a census taker in1950, and later worked for the Missouri Division of Health in Cameron.

Wilma and her husband were the parents of 4 children, Philip Lee, married Darlene Burns in St. Ann, MO. and they now live in Littleton, Co. with their2 children Wade Clinton, and Melissa Lea.
Ward Irving, who died in 2013, married Terri Romine and lived in Modesto, Ca., Their children, Christopher, married Victoria Eskandani, have 3 children, Zoey,Parker, and Thatcher, and live in Wilsonville, Or. Julie lives in Modesto. Vivian went to California to work and married Rhea Posedel. They had one daughter, Natilie. Vivian died in 2009. Robert married Kathy Graeff in Osborn, Mo. in 1976 and their children are; Laura Lee Ann, married Tim Daniel in Ohio in 2009, and Josh, married Erin Reber near Osborn, Mo. They live in Clever, Mo., and have 2 sons Jackson and Liam. The children all attended college. Three have Master’s Degrees.

When a child, Wilma accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at the Mt. View Assembly of God Church near Gillette, Wyo.

She later moved her membership to the Mabel Methodist Chuch, now Mabel Worship Center, near her home where she attended regularly.

Wilma dearly loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren

Outdoor Memorial Services are planned for Saturday August 29, 2020 at 10 am, to be held on the Owen Farm, 6500 S.E. Grindstone, Cameron, Mo.
You may bring lawnchairs, as fellowship and a light lunch will follow.