Wilhelmina DenBesten, 99, died Tuesday morning at the Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House following complications from a fall near her home in Albany.
Born Wilhelmina Vandermyde in Montana, she married William DenBesten in 1936 and settled on a farm in southwest Michigan until 1982. She then moved with her daughter, Clare, to Norwich, Conn., for 12 years, and has resided in Albany since 1994.
Wilhelmina's sense of adventure and generous spirit are an inspiration. She had numerous hobbies and was never afraid to try something new. A talented crafter, she has made beautiful quilts, ceramics and hooked rugs, as well as countless crocheted, cross-stitched and tatted pieces. She took up tatting in her late 80s and met with a group of fellow tatters weekly. An active member of her local senior center since the 1980s, Wilhelmina, or as she is known in Albany, "Willie," volunteered twice weekly at the senior center gift shop and could regularly be found there, enjoying lunch or visiting with friends.
She was an avid volunteer, accumulating thousands of hours of service prior to being decorated with the Volunteer of the Year award from the Linn-Benton chapter of Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) in 2008. With dear friend, Helen Strike (now deceased), Wilhelmina delivered meals to the "elderly" - who were often many years younger than the pair, both in their 90s - through the Meals on Wheels program.
Wilhelmina also enjoyed walking around Albany, often traversing to nearby stores, and continued meeting with a group of other shoppers at Fred Meyer each Thursday morning. She counted walking as a major factor in her longevity. While at home, she could always be found with a book in hand.
She is survived by son Leslie and wife Joyce DenBesten; daughter Clare and husband George Rollings; daughter-in-law Ada DenBesten; grandchildren Phil and wife Vicki DenBesten, Mike and wife Rhonda DenBesten, Abigail Rollings, William C. and wife Jean DenBesten Jr., Ann DenBesten, Mark and wife Ronda DenBesten, and Chris and wife Denise DenBesten; 15 great-grandchildren; and many great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by husband William DenBesten, son William C. DenBesten, parents Leonard and Cornelia (Telling) Vandermyde, and older siblings Henry and wife Thelma Vandermyde, John and wife Ruth Vandermyde, Winifred and husband John Postema and Adrian Vandermyde.
A gathering for the community to celebrate Wilhelmina's life is at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at the Albany Senior Center. A family service is anticipated near Holland, Mich., on Nov. 17.
Flowers are welcome, but those who prefer may make a contribution in Wilhelmina's name to the Albany Senior Center Foundation or Samaritan Evergreen Hospice.
Lastly, Clare and George would like to thank those at the Albany Fire Department, Albany General Hospital and especially the wonderfully thoughtful and caring team at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice for their work to make the final days of Wilhelmina's long and well-lived life peaceful and comfortable.