Dona Lou Imler

Dona Lou (Wilson) Imler died December 22, 2024 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She was born on November 15, 1926 to Violet and Loyal Wilson in South Bend, Indiana. She enjoyed a stable childhood despite the Great Depression, and she excelled in high school despite the outbreak of World War II. She attended DePauw University and graduated in 1948 with a major in history and a minor in organ playing, studying under Van Denman Thompson. Upon graduation she was awarded a Danforth Scholarship to study at Oklahoma University in Norman, Oklahoma for one year. On July 2, 1949 she married William Imler, whom she had met at DePauw University. They traveled east to live in an apartment, while Bill completed his studies at Drew Theological Seminary in Madison, New Jersey and Dona Lou taught second grade students. Upon graduation from Drew, Bill and Dona Lou moved to Modena, New York, where Bill pastored a church in Modena and a church in Clintondale, while attending Yale University. Dona Lou lived in the Methodist parsonage raising Don and twins Lee and Carol. After Bill earned his Masters of Sacred Theology degree from Yale in 1953, Bill and Dona Lou moved their young family to Indianapolis, where Bill became the first pastor of the recently chartered St. Luke’s Methodist Church. While serving there, the church grew and the family expanded with the birth of Craig and Anita.

The center of Dona Lou’s life was her love of God, which streamed out as interest in others, in the members of the congregation, and in church missions. In 1959 Bill and Dona Lou applied to be missionaries in Southern Rhodesia, but the Methodist Mission Board turned them down, citing their large family of young children. Subsequently the family moved to Martinsville, Indiana, where Bill served First Methodist Church. Then came the opportunity for Bill to serve as Assistant Dean of Drew Theological Seminary. The family moved to Madison, New Jersey, where Dona Lou taught school and took classes at Drew Seminary. In 1967 the Imler family moved to Evanston, Illinois, where Dona Lou taught in the public school system and Bill directed Garrett Theological Seminary’s Continuing Education courses for pastors. Dona Lou completed her Masters of Christian Education there at Garrett. She furthered her education at Northwestern University taking graduate work in the field of learning disabilities. Bill and Dona Lou planned a mini sabbatical in 1971 in Basel, Switzerland, after organizing a group of pastors on a tour of Christian art and architecture in England, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and Italy. After the 6 month sabbatical, Dona Lou continued teaching for many more years in Evanston, Illinois, West Lafayette, Indiana and South Bend, Indiana. She helped struggling students find alternate ways to learn material successfully. She tutored an illiterate father and taught him how to read. She served as organist at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in South Bend.

In 1976 Bill and Dona Lou participated in an archaeological dig at Caesarea in Israel. They traveled on to visit United Methodist mission sites around the world. In 1990 Bill and Dona Lou were assigned as Volunteers in Mission to Wesley Church in Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia, where Bill served as pastor and Dona Lou taught English. This was a very intriguing and rewarding experience for them. Upon their return to the states, Dona Lou served on the Council of Global Ministries for the North Indiana Conference of United Methodist Churches. She served as chairperson of the committee reviewing mission projects and designating worthy projects for grants. She also served on the committee for the planning of Africa University in Zimbabwe, and became an ardent supporter of it through the Indiana Campaign for Africa University, serving as chairperson of the Africa University committee. She visited the university four times and encouraged many students to pursue graduate level studies.

Dona Lou and Bill’s homes were welcoming to family, relatives, foreign students, and missionaries. They maintained lifelong friendships throughout the country and world.

In 1991 Bill and Dona Lou began planning a house on Lake Gage to replace their small efficiency cabin. Upon its completion many friends and relatives visited them there and enjoyed good conversation, boating, tubing, water skiing and swimming. In the summer months Dona Lou swam every morning as an invigorating start to her day. She also helped maintain a heritage farmhouse 3 miles from Lake Gage, where many relatives and friends gathered for vacations.

Bill and Dona Lou participated in monthly gatherings of retired United Methodist clergy and invited the group yearly to their lake house for breakfast and boat rides.

Bill and Dona Lou showed up for people at significant times in their lives – for baptisms, for graduations, milestone birthday celebrations, weddings, anniversaries and funerals. They wanted to be a source of comfort and support when people faced difficult situations and they wanted to join in the celebrations of life.

Surviving Dona Lou Imler are one sister: Marilyn Van Valkenburgh, five children: Donald (Kay) Imler, Lee (Armida) Imler, Carol (Dave) Jackson, Craig (Romana) Imler and Anita Goss, five grandchildren: Anita Robertson, Dan and Kelton Rochelle, Matthew Jackson and Finn Imler, five great grandchildren: Gryphon, Drake, Nico, George, and June, and one honorary daughter, Nimbilasha Cushing. Dona Lou was predeceased by her husband William Alfred Imler, her brother Loyal Iddings Wilson and her grandson Kenneth Christian Robertson.

A memorial service for Dona Lou will be held March 1, 2025 at First Wayne Street United Methodist Church at 11:00 with visitation beginning at 9:00 and Preservice Music at 10:45. The church is located at 300 East Wayne Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46802.

Memorials are to Africa University – for the Bill and Dona Lou Imler Scholarship - P.O. Box 340007, Nashville, TN, 37212 or to First Wayne Street United Methodist Church for the Loessi Organ Fund to maintain the Beckerath tracker pipe organ.