Wilma Maxine Gentry

Known as Wil by her friends, and Maxine by her family, Wilma Maxine Gentry, 72, died peacefully in her sleep on November 3, 2015. Wilma was born August 20, 1943 in Coalinga, CA, just months after her family, Bernice and Vivian Sides, and big sister Wanda, had migrated to California from Oklahoma. Bernice, known as “Red”, landed a job in the oil fields and settled his little family in a company house. Wilma loved to tell stories of her playing in the oil fields, catching horned toads and chasing rabbits with her trusty dog, Poncho. For a time, she even attended the little Oil King School. At the end of that story, she would always smile and add that Robert Montoya had been one of her classmates, and every time he saw her, he would tease her about being the only little girl with freckles and red pigtails in the school. At age 11, tragedy struck when Wilma’s father died suddenly. Vivian and the girls had to move to town. Soon afterwards, her mother went to work for the school, driving a big school bus back and forth to Huron.

Wilma attended Coalinga High School with her best friends Susan, Mary Lee and Sue Ray. She got good grades and dreamed of becoming a school teacher. In the end she left school to marry her first love, Dale Wehmeyer. They moved to Los Angeles, and later had a little girl named Judy.

Young love faded, as it often does, and Wilma returned to her home town with little Judy in tow. Her mother, now remarried to Bob Leckie, told her about a job in the paper for Sears. She got the job and a year later, Wilma became the store manager, and that is how most people in town will always remember her, as that nice lady at Sears.

When she was 20, Wilma met her future husband, Donald Gentry, through their good friends Bobby and Susan Georgatos. He had a good job in the oil fields and they dated for several years before running off to get married in Carson City, Nevada. After a few years they had Donna Gail and the family was complete.

Through Don, Wilma made many more great friends. Camping with Bruce and Sharon Baldwin, Ben and Nelda Davis. Barbecues at Mike and Donna Maple’s, cards with Sam and Armenta Heady. Lots of good friends, lots of good times, and lots of great stories.

They bought a house in Northfork in 1978, and it became their second home. Wilma’s Sister Wanda, and her husband George Payne came up and spent many weekends helping to clear brush and make the little house on Whiskey Creek a home.

In 1982, Sears closed the store in Coalinga and Wilma found work at La Cuesta Verde Farms, and later with Coelho West. There, she ran a one-woman office for the brothers Anthony, John and Gary. She loved her job there, and loved the boys like family. She went to every wedding and knew all the children’s names by heart. She worked there for 31 years before having to retire due to an extended illness.

Wilma was very proud of her two girls, Judy and Donna. Since she never got to go to college, she made sure they both did. She was the proud mother at both of their weddings and welcomed her new son in laws, Tim Horn and Tom Wilt into the family with open arms. She adored and spoiled her granddaughters, Melanie Horn and Brooke Wilt, and shamelessly bragged about them to anyone that would listen.

Wilma lost her husband Don in 1999, her mother Vivian in 2000, and then Bob in 2001. She took each loss harder than the last. She spent lots of time with her daughters and their families, traveling to the coast and vacations to Vegas. She loved to shop for her granddaughters, Melanie and Brooke. She made sure they had all the latest brand names and wanted for nothing. She actually grieved when Gottschalks went out of business, and the shopping trips came less and less.

Though, the last few years she had been sick, she was so thankful she had gotten to come home and was so grateful to her girls for taking care of her. She liked to be babied and she found joy in the smallest of things. Though leery at first, she finally came around to accepting a caretaker, and Pam Hamen became a godsend, and the newest member of the family.

Wilma is best remembered by her family for cooking way too much food, buying way too many presents and giving big bear hugs every time she saw you. She loved and she was loved. She will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. We love you Mama.

A visitation service is scheduled Thursday, November 12, 2015 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at Palm Memorial Coalinga Chapel 486 N. 5th St. Coalinga, CA followed by a graveside service 11:00 am Friday, November 13, 2015 at Coalinga- Huron Cemetery 40054 Calaveras Avenue Coalinga, CA

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