Wilma L. Appel, 88, of Benton Township died Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Royalton Manor in Royalton Township.
Family services will be held at a later date and cremation has taken place. Arrangements are by the Fairplain Chapel of Florin Funeral Service in Benton Township. Please share messages or memories at www.florin.net.
Wilma was born on October 27, 1934 in Sparta, TN. to Lee and Rachel Davis. She graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1953. Wilma was employed as a bank teller at the F & M National Bank from 1953 to 1956. She married her husband, Joe Appel, in 1957 and together they celebrated 66 years of marriage. Joe was a banker at the F & M National Bank and later at the State Bank of Coloma. After her marriage Wilma became a homemaker and stay- at- home mother but always made time for friends and volunteer work. She served as a candy striper at Mercy Hospital, was a dedicated Band Booster for Lake Michigan Catholic School bands, and, above all, was a lifelong member of the Kappa Theta Chi service sorority, helping to raise money for various charities for nearly 50 years. In the 1980s, Wilma went back to the workforce to help her college children raise spending money. She spent 5 years at the Lakeshore Studio, where she made lamp shades and many friends. She was a member of the St. John-St. Bernard Parish. Wilma was an avid reader and a great cook. She was also a passionate crafter who loved to knit, crochet, and sew. Summers invariably saw her working in her garden with her beloved roses and a truly astonishing number of tomatoes.
Her family includes her husband, Joe; her children, Michael Appel of Benton Harbor and Sharon (Barry) Desfor of Wauconda, IL.; her 4 grandchildren, Claire, Anna, Amber, and Joseph and her 4 great grandchildren, Lexi, Hunter, Dakota, and Rosemary. Wilma was preceded in death by her daughter, Catherine Appel, in 2009 and her brother, Ronnie in 1947.
Posted On: Friday, March 31, 2023 3:10 PM
