Wanda Dumermuth

Wanda Dumermuth Musician Wanda Dumermuth, only child of Dwight and Lila Brause, was born on a farm near West Union, Iowa, on August 11, 1924. She attended public school in Illinois and Greeley, Iowa. Her parents acquired a farm near Fayette, Iowa in 1940 and Wanda graduated as Fayette High School class salutatorian in 1941. She was a member of band and chorus, plus contest winning small groups in both disciplines. Wanda started piano lessons at an early age. One of her piano teachers was a man named John Sherwood who liked to boast that he was of a pianistic line that started with Beethoven and continued through Carl Czerny, Theodor Leschetizky, and his own teacher, Ignace Jan Paderewski. Thus Wanda could claim the same lineage. Wanda enrolled at Upper Iowa University in the fall of 1941 where she began studies leading to a major in voice. After two years at UIU she transferred to Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa and graduated from there in 1945 with a degree in School Music. Since she had a strong soprano voice needing no amplification, at 4' 11", was well known on campus as "the little girl with the big voice". After graduation she taught elementary school music at Florence, Arizona. On June 6, 1947 she married high school classmate Derryl Dumermuth, and together they accepted teaching positions at New Providence, Iowa. Five years later found them in Marana, Arizona and in 1962 they moved to Tulare. For five years she taught vocal music at Cherry Avenue Junior High. Wanda was an active member of Tulare United Methodist Church where she shared her talent by singing in the choir and occasional solos. For 26 years she provided instrumental music on the church's mighty pipe organ, retiring in 1999. She was a member of O.E.S., the Tulare City Historical Society, and P.E.O., serving the latter organization as president for three terms. She and her husband shared a passion for travel. They visited every continent except Antarctica, toured 55 countries, and took 13 ocean and river cruises. Wanda passed away on April 16, 2014. She is survived by son John and wife Mercedes of Sparks, Nevada and their children America and Julio; daughter Deanna and husband Douglas Marlitt of Gilroy, CA; granddaughter, Rebecca and husband Brice Schilling, of San Jose, CA; and great grandchildren Kayla and Ty Schilling. Two exchange students, one from Germany, the other from Austria, learned to call her "Mom" during the year they lived with the family. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, May 17 (2:00 p.m.) at the Tulare United Methodist Church, corner of Kern Avenue and G Street. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Tulare United Methodist Church or Heifer International (http://www.heifer.org).