Vergie Louise (Wills) Wilfong, age 90, passed on to her eternal home on August 7, 2013. Vergie was in Hospice Care at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, MO at the time of her death.
Vergie was born February 12, 1923 and lived her early years, in a two room house on 40 acres in Wayne County, Missouri. Later she lived in Jefferson City, St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield (since 1983).
Her family remembers her with love and affection and the grandchildren will always be grateful for family gatherings, her country cooking and for “Domino Night”. She attended many MSU Lady Bear basketball games and loved meeting people and making friends. Her loving and caring heart was evident in the love and devotion she showered on her family and friends.
Vergie was a woman of deep faith, inspiring her family by the example she set. Her hope was that she could pass on to her daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren the virtues of honesty, truthfulness, good work ethic, concern for others, sympathy, and morality. Vergie attended Sunday School and church faithfully from the time she was a baby. She had been a member of Second Baptist Church for 30 years and was especially grateful for the members of the Harmony Sunday School Class.
The Great Depression of 1930-31 made a lasting impression on her life which included the death of her infant brother. In school, she enjoyed math, geography (with dreams of travel) and music and was Valedictorian of her senior class at Zalma (MO) High School. With the support of her parents, Vergie attended Chillicothe (MO) Business College where she learned business and office skills. In 1944-45, Vergie worked at the State Capitol to help rewrite the Missouri Constitution. Vergie retired in 1983 after working 22 years for U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in Kansas City.
Vergie was preceded in death by her father, David Henry Wills, and mother, Ora (May) Wills, and an infant brother, Donald Daniel Wills. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Cletis Lloyd (“Buck”) Wilfong, their daughter Joan Newman (husband Earl), her two cherished grandchildren, Shari Wiley (husband Lance), and Julie Tobash, and two great-grandchildren, Ella and Emarie Wiley.
The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses and associates at ManorCare Health Services, James River Care Center, and Mercy Hospital for the kindnesses and excellent care she received during the last two months of her life.
A celebration of her life, led by Dr. John Marshall and Reverend Russell Sanders, will be held at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, August 14, at Greenlawn East Funeral Home, with a visitation starting at 11:30 am. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation on her behalf may be made to Second Baptist Church Tiny Town Ministry Fund, 3111 E. Battlefield (04). Vergie will be buried in Veteran’s Cemetery, Springfield, MO. in honor of her husband’s service in the Merchant Marines during World War II.