Fannie Wilke

Fannie Wilke was born May 11, 1915, in Ionia, Michigan on the family farm. She was the daughter of Edward and Lena (Blackmer) Vance. She attended a one room school house. After graduation, she attended college and became an outstanding secretary. She was employed by many different companies; one being a manufacturing plant in Belding, Michigan, which produced antennas for WWII planes. She married Stanley Jorgensen in 1946. They had three children; Chris (Ruth) Jorgensen of Lewisville, Texas, Iris (Gordon) Trampe of Springville, Iowa, and Esta (Jon) McKay of Alto, Michigan. She helped Stan with an apple orchard, where they also built a roadside stand, “Jorgensen’s Orchard,” in Ionia. After his death, she married Walter Hutchings at the age of 70. After his passing, she married John Wilke at the age of 90. During her very productive life, Fannie traveled to England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Mexico, and Alaska several times and had visited 48 other states. She enjoyed gardening, cross word puzzles and needle crafts. In her later years she was very competitive in card and board games. Fannie felt her church, family and friends were the most important things in her life.

She has resided in Palmetto, Florida for the past 30 years with summers spent in New York, New Hampshire and Springville, Iowa. In May she celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her friends and family in Springville, Iowa.

Her grandchildren include: Jayson Coe, Kyle Trampe, Jenny Bedell, Tayte Trampe, Tyler Trampe, Josh McKay and Krysta Trampe. She is also survived by great-grandchildren, Cassandra, Madison, Jordan, Charlotte (Charlie), and Connor.

She is preceded in death by her husbands, parents, and her brother George Vance.

She has been blessed with a long and full life and will be missed by a large number of friends, both here in Springville and Florida.