Cecilia Maria Amalia (Walterscheid) Wimmer

Mass of Christian Burial for Cecilia Maria Amalia (Walterscheid) Wimmer, age 94, of Muenster was held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Rosary and Vigil was held at 6:00 PM on Friday, January 11, 2019 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Cecilia was born on December 13, 1924 to William and Mary Hess Walterscheid. She was the youngest child, born into a large family of 10 children. She was preceded in death by her parents Mary and William Walterscheid, brothers Conrad, Al, Frank, and Martin, sisters Anna Walter, Lena Fuhrmann, Ida Hesse, Agnes Walter, and Irene Wimmer, her beloved husband, Andy, and son Robin. Cecilia grew up in the small town of Muenster. She attended Sacred Heart Catholic School, and was a member of the first class to receive a 4 year high school education. She was very active throughout her school-age years. She served as class President, enjoyed studying English, hated math, and was often getting into trouble for talking too much! She graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1942 as class valedictorian. On August 21, 1947 she married Andrew Wimmer. After getting married they travelled to New Mexico and visited Carlsbad Caverns for their honeymoon. Upon returning, they moved 6 miles east of Muenster to the Wimmer farmhouse. The house was in need of many repairs, so they made improvements, fixed it up, and made the best of what they had. It was there where she learned how to cook, sew, drive a tractor, and milk cows. Together they raised dairy and beef cattle, as well as 9 children—Terry, Robin, Donna, Molly, Candie, David, Janelle, Barbie, and Brenda. When Cecilia’s children were young she spent many hours giving back to the community. She taught religious education classes, and worked hard for the Hospital Auxillary Board staging plays and formal dances to make money for the new hospital. Celie enjoyed volunteering and thought it was important to give back to the community. Even as she aged, she continued to volunteer at the Muenster Museum, for Hospice, and by delivering meals for Meals on Wheels until the age of 91. Life on the farm was hard work, but Celie and Andy found plenty of time for dancing, attending, and hosting parties. Celie and Andy had such a love for each other, and enjoyed spending time together with friends and family. They LOVED to dance—and they were good at it! Dances were held on Monday night in town and you could always catch Cecilia and Andy dancing the jitterbug, which was their favorite, or the waltz, polka, or two-step. They were often referred to as the “Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers” of Muenster. They loved getting together with friends and family to play card games and 42 dominoes. One of her greatest pleasures in life was teaching her children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren how to play 42. Celie was a classy lady, but she allowed trash talking on the 42 table. She was always there to win and didn’t take it easy on anyone—even her grandkids. Celie played 42 like she lived her life—at the 42 table she always had faith in her partner and in life she had unwavering faith in God. Celie actually won her last game of 42 on New Years Day. Cecilia and Andy enjoyed camping and started with a camper shell, before buying a pop-up camper and then later upgrading to an RV. They spent many weekends camping at Lake Texoma, and they would take their camper on vacations. One of her favorite trips with the camper was a 3 week drive up the coast of California to Washington with Billie and Doc. They spent many weekends fishing at the Red River, only stopping once they caught their limit. Her first anniversary gift from Andy was actually a rod-and-reel. As their children started getting older, they would bring them along and taught them all to fish too. Andy and Celie loved to travel. Her favorite trips with him were to Hawaii and New York. After Andy died in 1992 she stayed on the farm for a few years before selling it in 1995. She could no longer maintain the farm and she wanted to build a house in Muenster that could accommodate her large and growing family. The house that once seemed so large began to feel small at holiday gatherings and parties as Cecilia’s family continued to grow. She had 25 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and so many friends who were like family to her. After moving to town and giving up the life of a farmer’s wife, she began to travel. And travel she did! Her first trip was with her niece, Mary Jo Graham to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. It was on this trip, at the young age of 70, where she rode an ostrich and received a certificate for bravery! She had a lust for travelling and once she started, she never stopped. She walked the Great Wall of China, sailed the Amazon, Yantgze, and Nile Rivers, stayed with the African Zulu tribe in a hut in South Africa, rode a camel in Egypt while admiring the pyramids, and travelled all over Europe. These are only a few highlights of her many excursions. She was an avid world traveller and visited many exotic locations. She has visited 35 countries and 6 continents. For many of these trips she traveled with her beloved traveling companion and niece, Mary Jo Graham. The family often wondered how those 2 navigated foreign countries on their own, but they always made it home so we didn’t worry about it too much. When she wasn’t travelling with Mary Jo, she was travelling with her daughters and sons. As Celie entered her 80s and 90s she travelled more with her children—mainly to Vegas, the Texas Coast, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta. She always enjoyed camping at Lake Texoma and Lake Murray with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandkids. No camping trip was complete without sitting around the campfire playing a game of “telephone” with your grandmother who just couldn’t stop giggling. Let’s just say, whenever grandma and I sat next to each other playing telephone, the message never got through clearly. But that is because her laugh was contagious. She spread joy and laughter in every room she was in. I never heard my grandmother say “no” to any invitation—whether it be an invitation to the 42 table, a camping trip, or an excursion to another country. She lived every day of her life to the fullest and was always up for anything! Even throughout the last year of her life when she wasn’t always having a great day, she would ask her children to “take her for a drive.” They would drive her out to see her old farm, around town, or just outside of town so she could see the countryside. When she was at home she always enjoyed visits from friends, neighbors, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren—especially Owen, whom she nicknamed “her Prince.” I swear if I ever visited alone she was so disappointed—of course she was fine seeing me, but if I didn’t have her Prince with me I wouldn’t hear the end of it. Even as her health declined she always put others needs in front of her own. Whether she was offering you a snack, a drink, or a glass of wine, she always made sure others around her were happy and comfortable. When everyone around her was happy, she was happy. When her family was with her, she felt complete and at peace. Although we will miss our feisty redhead, we must remind ourselves she is at peace with her beloved husband, Andy, and son, Robin. She is dancing again in Heaven, without pain and without suffering, and that is what we must remember as we learn to live this life without her. As our lives go on we will carry on her legacy and the values she has instilled upon all of us—those of faith, philanthropy, honesty, and courage. She has taught us all to live every day to the fullest, and never say no to an opportunity. We will drink wine, eat cheese, and travel the world and always think of her, our dear and beloved Cecilia Maria Amalia Waltersceid Wimmer.

Cecilia Maria Amalia (Walterscheid) Wimmer

December 13, 1924 - January 8, 2019