Wilma (Billie) Billie L. Nienaber

Wilma (Billie) L. Nienaber, 89, of Davenport, passed away Friday, May 1, 2015 at Iowa Masonic Home. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 12:00 PM in the Runge Mortuary Chapel. Visitation will be at 11:00 AM one hour prior. Private committal services will be held at Fairmount Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Down By The Creek Shelter, the Scott County Humane Society, Beacon of Hope Hospice or the Alzheimer’s Association. Online condolences may be expressed at www.rungemortuary.com.

Wilma was born on March 24, 1926 in Monmouth, IL, the daughter of Lee and Dorothy Stocks. While in High School she played the French horn and received numerous medals winning district and state contests and attended a school in Chicago for private lessons. While growing up she enjoyed visiting her aunt and uncle’s farm. She graduated from High School and attended Monmouth Collage, during World War II, at a time when young women were being recruited to go to Washington DC to do clerical work at the Pentagon and Billie felt compelled to go for her country. After returning home, she moved to Davenport to attend Business School and then was employed by French & Hecht where she met Ken Nienaber. They were united in marriage on May 18, 1951 in Davenport.

Billie was a School Crossing guard for 12 years, a Librarian Assistant and retired from AT&T after 17 years as a long distance operator.

She enjoyed raising three children; camping, hiking; her grandchildren; volunteering at CASI; taking in stray animals and having unusual pets such as a skunk, alligator, boa constrictor, koi fish, lizards, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits. She also enjoyed the company of usual pets which were cats and dogs. She loved to read, garden, watch football, the Cubs and golf, watching her grandchildren participate in music and sports, and also enjoyed traveling, playing cards, craft work, sewing, painting, listening to music, the girls’ talk show on WGN, watching Jeopardy, visiting with neighbors and friends. She held positions as a CASI volunteer as well as with the Alzheimer’s Association, Heart Association, Easter Seals, Humane Society and Pioneers of America.

Survivors include her children and their spouses, Carol (Elliott) Copan, Linda (Tom) Stahler and Allan (Kim Watts) Nienaber; grandchildren, Shawna Phelps, Jessica (Cory) Reitz, and Jeff (Tory) Stahler; great grandchildren, Makenzie, Jackson and Kennadi Phelps, Drake, Landon and Adelyn Reitz, and Tommy Stahler; sister, Mary (Gary) Dean; numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws.

Billie was preceded in Death by her parents, husband (Ken), Brother in law, Harold, and wife (Velva), and sister-in-law, Dorothy Leffler.

The family would like to thank family and friends who brought joy to Mom’s life, Beacon of Hope Hospice, Bickford Family and Masonic Healthcare Family.