Obituary of Ida Louise Wilks

August 23, 2020 our beloved mother, grandmother and friend, Ida Wilks left us to go dancing with her husband Jerry in heaven.

 

"100 years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money was in my bank account nor what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a better place because I was important in the life of a child."               

Excerpt from “Within My Power” - by Forest Witcraft

 

Ida Wilks exemplified this statement, a warm, generous, energetic lady who always wore a smile on her face and spread love to everyone she met. She was raised in the Northwest, and as a child, thoroughly enjoyed living in different places with the family.  Grandpa Hansler's construction jobs kept them moving to a variety of locations, like Coulee Dam, Fort Stevens, Camp Adair, Wrangell, AK and Moses Lake, WA.

 

Ida met her husband Jerry, on a blind date, at the University of Washington. They were married  September 29, 1951, at Annie Wright Seminary, living in Seattle to finish school.  They later moved to Bainbridge Island, WA where 5 of their 6 children were born. 

 

In 1960, they established a home in Sherwood, OR when it was still “in the boonies”, where they would raise their children and grow roots for many years to come. All the kids agree that they hit the parent lottery with Ida and Jerry Wilks. Their white VW microbus was a wonderful traveling car that took them on many adventures to the beach, many US states and Canada.

 

Ida was a friend to so many as a mentor, teacher, neighbor and taxi service to kids, grandkids and ailing friends that were unable to drive themselves. She was also present in the community, cheering at extracurricular activities and school events, as well as volunteering in many different programs. Ida and Jerry were active members in their community, 4H, Moms and Dads Club, Sherwood School Board, St. James Episcopal Church and the Portland Rosarians.  Ida was knighted at the 2015 Robinhood Festival...

 

Ida’s first career was many wonderful years as wife and mother, homemaker extraordinaire. When Jerry’s illness began, she got a job outside the home, driving the special education bus.  When he passed, on top of all of her community work, she would drive in the mornings and attend school in the evenings. She wanted to further her career and get a Masters degree in Special Education, and as many would tell you, nothing was going to get in her way. 

 

She taught at St. Mary’s Home for Boys and various schools in the Tigard, Beaverton, and Portland School Districts. Even when she retired from full time teaching, she often volunteered in Cindy’s classroom, and also taught at a school in Zihuantanejo, Guerrero, Mexico.

 

Her constant smile, warm hugs, and loving heart will be missed by so many, but she leaves a legacy behind that nobody will forget.

 

Ida was preceded in death by daughter, Terri Louise, sister, Nancy Hansler, brother, Dick Hansler, husband Jerry,  and her parents, Mike and Mary Hansler. She is survived by 21 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, sister Grace Merrill, and brothers, Jerry and Tom Hansler, and nieces and nephews. Children: Cindy and Larry Souza, Niki Wilks, Mary Lou and Alan Reid, Edie Wilks-Pero, and Tom and Katie Wilks.

 

Due to COVID restrictions, a private memorial service will be held at St. James Church on September 5th, 2020 at 2pm. It will be available for livestream on YouTube for those that wish to join us electronically: https://www.youtube.com/c/StJamesTigard

 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her honor to one of the many places that she volunteered, to name a few:                

-P.H.A.M.E. Academy

-Annie Wright Seminary//Tacoma, WA 

-St. Mary’s Home for Boys//Beaverton, OR 

-Tigard Good Neighbor Center//Tigard, OR 

-St. James Episcopal Church//Tigard, OR 

-Sherwood Historical Society//Sherwood, OR 

-Newberg Mat Club//Newberg, OR

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