Wilma Plotner

Wilma Maxine Plotner, 92, of 5867 E. County Rd. 466, Watercrest Memory Care, The Villages, FL, died on January 23, 2025. She was born March 18,1932, the 2nd of 6 children, in Worthington, Indiana, to Virgil T. and Lillian V. England. Wilma England graduated from Jimtown HS in 1950, & married Donald L. Plotner, a 1946 graduate of Mishawaka HS, on May 19, 1950. They settled in South Bend, IN, & had 4 daughters. They moved to Elkhart in 1964, and then to Syracuse IN, in 1978. After their daughters were grown, they built a log cabin in Tennessee, a cottage on a small lake in IN, & wintered in their RV in Palmetto, FL. Wilma was a stay-at-home mom, but was also involved in many clubs & activities. She was a Blue Bird leader & then a Campre Girls leader, a member of an Antique Collectors club, a Clock Collectors Club, a Quilting Club, and The Happy Cloggers dance group. She was the secretary of the Jimtown Schools PTA, & a member of the Jamestown United Methodist Church. She also worked for the Elkhart school system in the library processing department for several years, & became a teacher's assistant in the Jimtown school system. She loved all kids. Grandchildren were a large part of Wilma's life. Each of her 29 grandkids felt special & loved by their Grandma Wilma. She created lasting memories for them by taking each one of them "birthday shopping" and to lunch, on their birthday. It was a special tradition they looked forward to every year, and talked about often. Wilma also had a talent for whistling. She could whistle any song and "talk" to the birds, perfectly mimicking their whistle. She loved to put bird houses outside her window, where she could watch or interact with the birds. She also loved creating things. She loved to sew, embroider, crochet, & quilt, & taught her daughters how to create many creative projects. Wilma and Don and their daughters created many happy memories together camping in the Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Indiana Dunes State Park, and many parks, lakes, and rivers around the country. After their grandkids came along, many good times were spent exploring nature together from their log cabin in Tennessee, their home on the Baugo creek in Indiana, or their cottage on a small Indiana lake. Wilma was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, her 5 siblings (Tom, Barb, Don, Carolyn, & Frank), a daughter, Cindy (Tim) Neely, Osceola, and one granddaughter, Ruth Neely. Her surviving relatives are 3 of her daughters, Sandy (Bruce) Clark of The Villages, FL, Susie Russell of The Villages, and Cheryl (Erick) Evans of Syracuse, IN, 28 grandchildren, 90 great grandchildren, & 1great great grandchild. There are 2 surviving brother-in-laws, Tom Plotner of Huntington Beach, Calif, & Norm Woolet of Wyatt, IN, and a sister-in-law Donna England of St. Petersburg, FL Wilma has 28 surviving grandchildren that live in 7 dierent states. Her 4 daughters & their children: Sandy: Jacob, Vogel, Don Vogel, Erica Sallem, Amy Vogel, Ben Vogel Susie: Bryan Russell, Corrie Kennedy, Mandy Russell, Jenny Price, Bruce Russell, Ben Russell, Brad Russell Cindy: Annie Chapman, Mike Neely, Dan Neely, Paul Neely, Mary Zimmerman, John Neely, Tom Neely, Beth Pletcher, Jim Neely, Dave Neely, Becca Menees, Martha Lemler Cheryl: Jesse Peterson, Vanessa Kelly, Jacob Martin, Rose Block. A Celebration of Life will be held for Wilma in the spring in Indiana.