Pauletta was born December 11th, 1922 to James and Frieda Wilbeck on the Lincoln, Kansas farm where she grew up with her two brothers Henry John and Robert A. Wilbeck along with her sister Bernita Jensen. All have preceded her to heaven where a glorious reunion is most certainly still taking place!
Enduring the Great Depression, dust bowl days as well as the war years taught her resilience and determination. She lost her father when she was only 13 and her mother when she was 22. By 17, she was in college and soon after was teaching at two local elementary schools. Times were not easy, but her loving family dealt tirelessly with every hardship that came their way.
She met a young Army serviceman, Leonard Wilson from White Salmon Washington, on a double date while he was visiting an Army buddy in Kansas toward the end of the war. She soon moved to Oregon to ultimately marry this “man of her dreams” on June 22, 1947. They were inseparable from then on. Pauletta was the bookkeeper and very involved with the successful Insurance business in Albany, Oregon she and Leonard started. Pauletta was a wonderful wife and mother who was truly devoted to the values she held in the most high regard – Family, Integrity and Loyalty. She and Leonard raised their family in Albany, Oregon until her beloved husband was taken in 1987 at the early age of 67. She then moved to a condo in the Portland/Clackamas area where she lived until moving to Town Center Village in 2010. She was a valued, trusted, friend and mother and her greatest joy was to have her family gather together.
Pauletta is survived by her daughter, Joleene Gospodnetich and her husband Kent Llewellyn of Happy Valley; Douglas and Judy of Eugene; and Dennis and Meredith of Damascus. The “jewels in her crown” were her grandchildren about whom she shared liberally with practically everyone she met: Chris and Yasi Gospodnetich of Corte Madera, California; Andrew Gospodnetich of Happy Valley; Beth and Courtland Wirth of Eugene, Layne and Bret Klopfenstein of Ventura, California; Parker(19) and Madeline(18) Wilson of Damascus. She also had 3 great grandchildren: Anderson(5), Emmet(3) and Bo(2 months).
Family gatherings of any type were her joy … she was always happy to have visitors and eagerly anticipated every graduation, marriage and birthday! One of her goals in life was to live long enough to see every grandchild graduate from high school. On her last Sunday afternoon, she commented that her only regret was that she wasn’t well enough to attend Madeline’s graduation ceremony this past June – but she accomplished her goal and was ready to go “Home” which she accomplished gracefully and peacefully. She was immensely proud of each of her family and never lost the “mother hen” charm – up until her final day, offering to take us out for brunch! She leaves behind a tearful, but beautiful void that will forever be cherished … and yet she is finally in the arms of her Savior and at long last reunited to her beloved husband who she was so faithfully and fiercely dedicated.
A Celebration of Life service will be in the Chapel at Town Center Village, 8607 SE Causey Ave, Happy Valley, Oregon on July 26th at 1:00pm. Memorial contributions can be made in Pauletta's name to a charity of your choice.
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