She was born May 7,1935 in Madison, Wisconsin, to Wallace and Mildred Winn (nee Beswick).
After marrying Werner E. Wilking in 1954, she moved to West Bend in 1963 and worked at Jeanne’s Country Casuals. She was an avid golfer, bowler and an active member of the West Bend Country Club. She also was active as a volunteer in the local Children’s Theater group and was a life-long fan of the stage. She was an active member of St. James Episcopal Church of West Bend also, serving on many committees there.
In 1975 she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where she worked in market research for Procter and Gamble travelling frequently all over the country to do focus groups on new products. She then started working for the Hamilton County Parks District in Cincinnati, managing events at Parky’s Farm, a fully functioning farm used for educational programs and entertainment. She was active in her community church, always the volunteer. She moved to Lodi, Wisconsin after marrying her lifelong friend and classmate Edward Gesteland in 2009, and then made the Plantation in St. George Island, Florida her permanent home after snow birding from Wisconsin with Ed for many years.
Ann loved vacationing in far-flung places like Tuscany and Costa Rica and traveling to Europe where her photojournalist son Rick was living. When Rick moved to Washington, DC and then to Colorado she was there as often as she could be. When grandson Ben was born in Zurich, she was there two weeks later to see him.
She loved to cook often whipping up dishes on the fly without a recipe calling them “Ann Originals”. She was a music lover, particularly of musicals, classical music and American standards. She was a movie lover too, tending toward old classics but almost any genre would do. Books were always a passion, reading thousands over her lifetime. A glass of chardonnay, a book and a seat next to her beloved Ed were heaven on earth to her.
She began a love of pigs many years ago and at one time had a collection of pig figurines numbering in the hundreds. In Florida she supported the sea turtle protection program and was involved in improving the Plantation’s beaches and landscapes.
Ann loved the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers and later adopted FSU in Tallahassee and its teams too. An accomplished artist, mostly working in watercolor paintings, she picked up her brushes several years ago after a long hiatus and despite struggling with a weak arm and wrist after an injury was painting right up until her stroke.
Even in her advanced years she took to new technologies readily – smartphones, laptops, tablets and the Internet were staples in her life often making tech support and companies across the country crazy with her hour long calls.
Ann is survived by her husband Ed Gesteland, son, Rick Wilking (Sharon) of Golden, Colo., grandson, Benjamin Wilking of Houston, TX (Ashley); and great-granddaughter Grace Anne, born this year in January. Also survived by sister Marcia Oliver of Brookfield, WI, nieces and nephews and stepchildren.
A celebration of Ann’s life will take place at the Plantation Clubhouse on St. George Island, Florida August 24th at 2 pm. 1712 Magnolia Road, St. George Island, FL 32328 850-927-2312. Arrangements by Culley’s Meadow Wood Funeral Home of Tallahassee.
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