Phyllis A. Wilmes

Northview - North Mankato Mortuary 2060 Commerce Drive North Mankato, MN 56003 (507) 388-2288 Phyllis Ann Wilmes, age 82, of Mankato, died unexpectedly of a heart attack, Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 28, 2015 at Northview - North Mankato Mortuary, 2060 Commerce Drive, North Mankato. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m., Friday at Northview and will continue one hour before service on Saturday. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery, Mankato at a later date. Memorials are preferred to Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, 335 East 145th St, Bronx, NY 10451 or SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church or Mankato Area Catholic Schools. Phyllis was born January 15, 1933 to Adolph and Marcella (Fox) Weber in Mankato. She attended District #157 country school near Butternut grades 1-8 and graduated from Good Counsel Academy in 1950. Phyllis was united in marriage to R. Paul Wilmes on October 10, 1951 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, North Mankato. Phyllis graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1969 from Mankato State University with degrees in library, history, and English. She taught English and worked as a library media specialist in the Good Thunder Public Schools from 1969-70, Amboy Public Schools from 1970-72, Mankato Public Schools from 1972 until retiring in 1997. Phyllis was a member of SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Catholic Daughters of the Americas - St. Rose of Lima Court, Retired Educators of Minnesota, Mankato Area Retired Educators Association, NEA Retired, Education Minnesota Retired. She volunteered and subbed as a library secretary for District #77 from 1997-2015 and for Helping Hands at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Phyllis enjoyed spending time with family and friends, reading, playing cards, embroidery, collecting antique glassware and furniture, reading the paper from cover to cover, coffee klatch at Hy-Vee and Panera's luncheon with her lady friends. She was awarded the Mother of the Year by the Mankato Free Press in 1985. Phyllis is survived by her husband of 63 years, Paul of Mankato; six children, Paul (DeAnn) Wilmes of Eagan, Ken (Linda) Wilmes of Mankato, Greg (Maggie O'Reilly) Wilmes of St. Paul, Sue (Ed) Fletcher of New Ulm, Peggy (Chris) Arce of Mapleton, and Jessica (Antonio) Espinosa of Maplewood; foster child, Pamela Jean; eleven grandchildren, Geoffrey, Katherine, and Benjamin Wilmes, Ethan, Josephine, and Alexander Wilmes, Ryan (Madi) King, Amanda and Jacob Arce, Kolten and Erasmus Espinosa; one great-grandchild, Rierdan King; sister, Elaine (Cletus) Goettl of rural Lake Crystal; nieces, nephews, and extended family. Phyllis was preceded in death by her father, Adolph in 1973 and mother, Marcella in1993.