Wilma Clement

Wilma Irene Nelson was born in Willow Township, Monona County, Iowa, on February 2, 1914, to Asher Walton and Selma Marie (Rustin) Nelson. She was fourth of eight children. The family also farmed in Sac and Crawford counties mostly living near Dunlap.
Wilma married Laurence Eldon Clement in Denison, Iowa, in 1931. Except for a short time in Lake View, they lived in Dunlap, Iowa, until they moved to Exeter, California, in 1966 to take care of one of Wilma's older brothers, Kenneth Nelson. They worked in the fruit and olive packing industry until their retirement in 1979 when they returned to Dunlap. Wilma and Eldon liked traveling to see new sights and different parts of the country and keeping up with new as well as longtime friends. In response to the question of what she likes about Iowa, Wilma said "I always feel at home in Iowa, people are so friendly".
Wilma worked very hard to make ends meet for her family through the depression and while Eldon was away serving in the Navy during World War II. She sewed and was handy at making not only clothing for her family, but costumes for all occasions. She could piece together any little bits of fabric to make something beautiful. She spent countless hours piecing quilts and putting them together for family and friends and to donate to charity. She made May baskets in the spring while holding jobs at the grocery-dry goods store and running the duck pin bowling alley.
After she retired in 1979 and returned to Dunlap, she went back to school to be trained as a nurse's aide and started a new career working at the Dunlap Care Center until she needed to stay at home to care for Eldon during his illness. Wilma was an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Dunlap and provided transportation for those members who couldn't drive to church as long as she was able to drive herself. (She learned to drive at age twelve so she could take her Mother into town from the farm. They used to push the Model A down the drive and not start it until they were out of sight so Grandpa wouldn't hear them leaving.) Until a couple of years ago, Wilma was a working member of the American Legion Auxiliary and was active selling daffodils for the Cancer Society every spring.
She credits her long life to "I had a family to live for". Her words of wisdom are: "Always live within your means" and "Always keep your work done up so you can go when the car goes".
Wilma died on April 15, 2017 at the Dunlap Specialty Care Center in Dunlap, Iowa at the age of 103 years, two months and 13 days.
Wilma was preceded in death by her parents, and seven siblings (Gifford Nelson, Kenneth Nelson, Willis Nelson, Leo Nelson, Della Fouts, Marvin "Bus" Nelson, and Dewy Nelson), her husband Eldon in 1981, her son, Rex, in January of this year, her granddaughter, Jodi Grobe in 1999. She is survived by her daughter, Joyce Auld; grandchildren, Lesa Auld and Scott Auld of Kansas City; Clay Clement (Laura) of Hancock; Kim Clement, of Mexico, Missouri; Cole Clement of Oakland; ten great grandchildren; five great, great grandchildren (and another on the way); twenty-two surviving nieces and nephews and many other relatives and friends.