Mary B. Wilhelmsen

Mary Deborah Barker Wilhelmsen, 83, formerly of Stevensville, passed away Thursday, August 24, 2006, at Caretel Inns of Royalton, St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Monday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, with Dr. Randy Doyle officiating. Cremation will follow the service. Friends may call from 2-5 P.M. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Blossomland United Way. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mrs. Wilhelmsen was born June 26, 1923 in Syracuse, New York to Stanley & Harriet (Spencer) Barker. On May 29, 1955, she married Sigurd Wilhelmsen in Onarga, Illinois. Mary was the founder and served as administrator of Blossomland Learning Center for 24 years until her retirement in June of 1989. She was a member of Girl Scouts of America and the former chairperson of the Detroit Girl Scouts Association. Mary had served on the board of Gateway, the Area Agency on Aging and the Samaritan Center, and was a former president of the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel. She was also a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, the Association for Retarded Citizens, and active with the Elder Hostel Program. In her spare time, Mary enjoyed traveling, reading, and most of all, spending time with her grandchildren. Mary is survived by her daughter Randi (David) Crum of Stevensville; two grandchildren-Ross & Marissa Turcotte; her step-brother Wendall Orr of Washington, DC; and her step sister Janice Orr of Seaford, VA. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband Sigurd on July 25, 2005.