Thelma Louise (Walker) Wiley, of Harrisburg
HARRISBURG – Thelma Louise (Walker) Wiley, 96, passed away Feb. 18, 2017, in Solarbron Terrace in Evansville, Indiana.
She was born Dec. 24, 1920, in Eldorado to Fred and Lora Walker, the fourth of five children.
Times were rough for the family. Her father, Fred, was killed in a coal mining accident. Following high school graduation from Eldorado in 1938, she attended Lockyear Business College in Evansville.
Thelma married Fred A. Wiley of Carrier Mills on Sept. 10, 1939. With Fred's absence during World War II, she worked at Republic Aviation in Evansville. Following the war, they started their family, which included a son, Dee Wiley (Lana) of Harrisburg, who was born in 1947, and daughters, Patricia (Like) Anslinger (Jerry) of Evansville and Tina Louise Etienne of Eldorado, who were born four and eight years later, respectively.
During these years, Thelma was a stay-at-home mother, while activie in the PTA (president) of Horace Mann School, and various duties at First Baptist Church in Harrisburg.
In 1962, Thelma began her tenure as department head at Hart's Department Store in Harrisburg. Fred and Thelma enjoyed camping at Lake Glendale and building their retirement home on Womble Mountain in 1981. In 2004, they moved to an apartment on Brady Street in Gaskin City. Following Fred's death, Thelma remained in the apartment and was spared during the tornado, which hit the Harrisburg area on Feb. 29, 2012.
Thelma went to reside with her daughter, Pat, in St. Wendel, Indiana, in May of 2015. At the time of her death, Thelma was a resident of Solarbron Terrace in Evansville.
She was preceded in death by her parents; four siblings; husband, Fred; son-in-law, Alan Like in 1980; and grandson, Chad Aron Wiley in 1975.
Survivors include her three children; daughter-in-law, Lana Wiley; son-in-law, Jerry Anslinger; six grandchildren, Brad Wiley (Stacey Loomis), Luke Wiley (Jill), Jason Like (Heather), Jeff Anslinger (Melissa), Josh Anslinger (Becky) and Lora Mathews (Michael); and nine great-grandchildren, River and Evan Wiley, Elizabeth Mathews, Cole and Isabelle Like, Hunter and Jaselyn Anslinger, and Justus and Sebastian Askren.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in Reed Funeral Chapel in Harrisburg. Burial will be in Sunset Gardens in Harrisburg. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home.