Grace Blanche Valentina (Meyer) Wilhelm

Grace Blanche Valentina (Meyer) Wilhelm passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 3 at home. Born on February 14, 1935 to John N. Meyer and Anna M. Klima at Junction, Paulding County, Ohio. On April 14, 1956, Grace married her lifelong soulmate, Donald E. Wilhelm at St. Stephens Catholic Church, Delaware Bend. Grace was a long-standing member of St. Isidore’s Catholic Church, formally St. Stephens.

Grace is survived by her husband, Don, son, Tom (Charlene) and daughters Ann Wilhelm (Amer Abu Alfa). Mary Wilhelm-Chapin (Stephen), Barbara (Thomas) Hilgenberg and Linda (Timothy)  Pezzolesi as well as 13 grandchildren: Daniela Giuliani, Stephen Wilhelm, Joseph Hilgenberg, Adriana Giuliani, Nathaniel Chapin, Alexander Wilhelm (Mazie Bernard), Elizabeth Hilgenberg, Giuseppe Giuliani, Joshua Hilgenberg, Fletcher Chapin, Acadia Pezzolesi (Nicholas Vilardi), Cole Wilhelm, and Sawyer Pezzolesi. She is also survived by her sister, Helen Simonis (Louis) and sister-in-law, Lee Ann Marshall.

Grace was predeceased by her son, Stephen, and daughter, Pamela Wilhelm Giuliani. Additionally, her sisters, Leona Baker, Regina Ruth Miller, Mary Diesler, and Elizabeth Ankney, and brothers, Bernard, Charles, and Raymond Meyer also preceded her in death.

This quote by one of her children best encapsulates the spirit of Grace, “I’ll miss Mom’s look where she would touch my cheek and look inside me to find the happiness, sadness, joy, pain and without wavering take it on. Making all of life so much richer.”

Grace’s life will be celebrated on Friday, Nov. 8th at Schaffer Funeral Home South, Lawson-Roessner Chapel (1753 South Clinton Street) in Defiance. Visitation will begin at 12:00 pm with Mass at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church at 1:30 pm.  Burial to follow at Riverside Cemetery.

The family requests that any donations in Grace’s memory be made to Elara Caring Hospice in Defiance, or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.Online condolences can be given at www.Schafferfh.com

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