Wilma Rose Schlensker Tilley, 90, of Westfield, NC passed away at home Sunday, June 4, 2023. She was born June 27, 1932, in Milltown, IN to the late Edward John Schlensker and Bertha Agnes Hoffman.
Wilma grew up on her family farm in Indiana with her trusty mules Jack and Jim. After finishing high school in 1950, she moved into town and worked as a bookkeeper for 10 years at a mortgage company in Louisville, Kentucky. She met her husband Cab in Milltown where they married in 1958, and they eventually moved to Oak Ridge, North Carolina. There, Wilma took time to raise her children before returning to work as a bookkeeper, serving Gardner Plumbing, Frisco Pickup and Delivery, and Greensboro Electric over the years. She was also an active member of the community, serving as volunteer treasurer for the Oak Ridge Horseshow for 20 years and treasurer for the local PTA.
Wilma was a devout Catholic and loved her church community where she was a charter member of Holy Cross Catholic Church and part of the Columbiettes and senior group. She was famous for her deviled eggs, and she never left mass without her friends finding her and demanding a hug.
Wilma was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd Cabol Tilley; brothers, John Edward Schlensker, and Elmer Martin Schlensker; and grandson, Tyler Tilley. She is survived by her younger sister, Kathryn Marie; her children, John Reid Tilley (Trang), Kenneth Paul Tilley, Susan Rose Tilley Byers (Ed), and David Rogers Tilley (Catherine); and grandchildren, Devin, Zachary, Isabella, and Madeleine Tilley and Elizabeth and Edward Byers (fiancé Lauren Hunley). She is also survived by her beloved sister-in-law, June Tilley; dear friends, Elizabeth Thomas, and Ellen Mulligan; and a multitude of cousins, nieces, nephews, and close friends.
The family wishes to thank Shena, Sharon, Ashley, Annette, and Ana for their generous, loving, compassionate care of Wilma. A special thank you is due Lynn Byers, as she was especially kind and became Wilma’s close friend and caregiver in her last months of life. Thank you also to Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care for their help and support.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held to celebrate Wilma’s life at 11 a.m. Monday, June 12, 2023, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 616 S. Cherry St. Kernersville, NC 27284. Father Noah Carter will officiate. The family will greet friends from 10 – 11 a.m. prior to mass at the church and a reception will follow immediately after the service. A register book will also be available for friends and loved ones to sign on Monday, June 12, 2023. Interment will be held at 3 p.m. at the Westfield Baptist Church Cemetery, Westfield, NC.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy Cross Catholic Church or directly to the 50th anniversary picnic pavilion fundraiser. Pierce-Jefferson is serving the Tilley Family. Online condolences may be made at www.piercejeffersonfh.com
