SOUTH PLYMOUTH – Our mother, Luella Regina Wilken Carpenter, passed from this life to be again with our father, our brother, and many relatives on May 5, 2010, at Chenango Memorial Hospital.
She was born March 22, 1920, at Oelwein, Iowa, the first child of Gerd Wilken and Hazel Hensch Wilken. Her mother died when mom was six years old. At that time, she went to live with her maternal grandparents. When her father remarried, she moved back home. After graduation from high school, she worked as a secretary.
In the early 1940s, mom received dad’s address from a CCC train where men were handing out their addresses, hoping to find pen pals. Mom chose the name of Harry Carpenter because she thought it sounded very American. They were pen pals throughout World War II. After the war, Harry, who was from Chenango County, New York, went to Iowa, met her in person and they were married four weeks later. From this union were born three children, Candace, Vicki and Jon. At this time, she became a homemaker and did not return to work. The family moved to South Plymouth, New York in 1948, where she lived for most of her adult life.
Mom will be remembered for her yummy home cooked meals, lovely handmade quilts, crafts, knitted and crocheted items and sewing skills. Her fudge recipe will go down in family history. She was a generous person who loved her husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren very much. Mom had beautiful handwriting even in her senior years.
Mom was predeceased by her parents, husband Harry in 1986, her son Jon in 1983, and son-in-law Robert Raphael in 2006. She was also predeceased by her granddaughter Sarah and grandson Chandler and her brothers and sister and half-sisters. She is survived by her daughters, Candace (James) Sheffer and Vicki Raphael, step-brother Robert Spragg and half brother Dale (Joanne) Wilken. Luella is also survived by her grandchildren, Holly (Dino) Liapis, Daniel Sheffer, Bethany Sheffer, Marc (Rachel) Raphael, Rebecca Raphael, Matthew (Kathryn) Raphael, and Michael Raphael and eight great grandchildren. She was also predeceased by her two, much beloved dogs, Lucky and Petal.
Respecting her request, private graveside services were held. The R.J. Fahy Funeral Home handled the arrangements. The family gathered to pay their respects on May 8 at the North Guilford Pioneer Cemetery.
Those wishing to make a donation in her memory can give to the Chenango Memorial Hospital Foundation, 179 North Broad St., Norwich, NY 13815, or plant a lilac bush in her memory.