Wilma O’Nan

Wilma O’Nan – Feb. 4, 2015

Wilma passed Feb. 4, a couple of weeks after her 82nd birthday.

A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, at the Langley United Methodist Church in the Sanctuary, with reception in the Fellowship Hall, following.

She loved her community so much, and there are not enough of the right words to express the gratitude we feel for all of your support for all of these years. Please come celebrate and share memories.

Although the stroke she experienced in 2007 changed her in many ways, she liked to say that suffering in this world helps to develop compassion in ourselves, so she felt that hers had that purpose.

Wilma O’Nan was born Wilma Elizabeth Kresse on Jan. 16, 1933, third child of four, to Frank F. Kresse and Gertrude Boose Kresse at Beaumont, Calif. She attended Beaumont Union Schools until 12th grade and graduated from North Hollywood High School in North Hollywood, Calif., in 1950. She married Fred O’Nan in 1952, and they raised their only child, Cathi O’Nan, in the San Fernando Valley and at Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

In 1978, Wilma migrated to Washington State to Whidbey Island to associate with the Chinook Learning Community (now Whidbey Institute), where she was employed for six years in a number of positions. She regularly volunteered many hours in the Appletree garden at the Chinook land of the Whidbey Institute in following years.

In 1984, Wilma and her daughter, Cathi, created Growing Concern, a gardening business, and remained partners in that business to the present.

Wilma is survived by her best friend and daughter, Cathi O’Nan-Bower, and son-in-law, Chuck Bower, of Langley. Also surviving are sister, Francesca, and her husband, Dale Jenkins, of Cupertino, Calif.; brother, Frank, and his wife, Barbara Kresse, of Petaluma, Calif.; brother, Bill, and his, wife Sandi Kresse, of Fernley, Nev; cousin Lilo Lamerdin and her husband, William Sacherek, of Mukilteo; dozens of cousins, nieces, nephews and grandnieces and nephews, all of California, Colorado and in Germany; and former husband Fred O’Nan and his wife, Marge, of Oregon; as well as her beloved friends of South Whidbey.

Remembrances may be made to the Appletree Garden at Whidbey Institute to continue energy in the garden that Wilma loved so much, to the Langley United Methodist Church or to Senior Services of Island County.