Wilma Maxine Grabe Stricker, 96, entered eternal life with her heavenly Father and Jesus, her Savior on Friday July 5 at Heritage Care Center. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 13, 10:00 am, at Faith United Church of Christ, Bayard — her church community for more than 75 years. Internment will follow at the Bayard cemetery. Dugan Kramer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be directed to the local “Friends of Alzheimers and Dementia” c/o Oregon Trail Community Foundation, or to Faith United Church of Christ.
Wilma was born in Gering, NE to Dave & Amelia Wagner Grabe on November 26, 1927. She met her groom, Leo, at a German wedding dance, and they married on February 9, 1947, sharing 73 years of marriage before Leo’s death in 2019. They were blessed with three children, Timothy, Kathleen, & Thomas.
Wilma loved well and was well loved! She was a dedicated farm wife, with a virtue of patience and gentleness, working side-by-side with her husband on their farm west of Bayard. Her coffee pot was always on for their shared daily mid-morning coffee break with cookies, a tradition lasting until both moved into Heritage in 2018. Cookies could always be found in the green tupperware tub, and candied orange slices in the glass candy bowl, a constant her kids and grandkids always enjoyed at Grandma’s house. Wilma enjoyed several years as an Avon lady in the Bayard community in the early 80’s. They moved from their Bayard farm to Scottsbluff in 2000 where she continued to work beside her husband. She enjoyed going with him to job sites and helping him install fencing in his fence business. Wilma carried a camera everywhere she went, always snapping pictures of their farming, fencing, kids, grandkids and great grandkids. Even though she filled many photo albums back in the day, not all of her film cartridges made it to the store for developing! Wilma and Leo enjoyed attending local sports & 4-H events their children & grandchildren were involved in, and also a lot of road trips to attend games. Wilma was a 4-H leader for several years when her children were in 4-H. Wilma and Leo enjoyed square dancing for over 20 years, travelling to many square dance events throughout the state, and travelling to other vacation places throughout the US. They were also active members in the local Germans from Russia organization. She was ever-present in her church community in worship and as an active volunteer in the church kitchen. Wilma & Leo together were instrumental in establishing special ed programs in Nebraska public schools in the early 1960’s to meet the special needs of challenged children in Nebraska.
Enjoying memories and celebrating her life are her children Tim (Sandi) Stricker, Scottsbluff; and Kathy (Paul) Rainbolt, Fort Collins, CO. Grandchildren Janel (Tim) Andreasen, Lincoln NE; Alexis (Val) Ornoy, Vancouver BC; Cash (Annie) Stricker, Wheatridge CO; Christian (Mia) Rainbolt, Ft Collins, CO; and Bobby (Alexandra) Rainbolt, Windsor, CO. 18 great grandchildren – Jakob (Ellie), Joshua, Jonathan, Mathilda, Benjamin, Joseph, Amelia, Willa, & Esther Andreasen; Penelope, Charlotte & Wyatt Stricker; Lily, Anya, & Dawson Rainbolt; and Bridger, Hope, & Brooks Rainbolt; and 1 great-great grandson, Benedict Andreasen; and many nieces and nephews.
Wilma is the last of her generation in both the Stricker and the Grabe families, having been preceded in death by her husband, her son Tom, her brother & sister, and all of her brothers-in-law and sisters-in law.