Wilma Todd, 96, of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, formerly of Cushing, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at Pioneer Valley Living and Rehab in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa.
Visitation with the family present will be held from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026, at the Community Presbyterian Church in Lawton, Iowa, with Funeral services will following at 11:30 a.m., with Rev. Brian Maag officiating. Committal services will be held in the Correctionville Cemetery in Correctionville, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the family of Wilma.
The Armstrong - Van Houten Funeral Home of Anthon & Mapleton, Iowa, are in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online www.armstrongfuneral.com.
Wilma Grace Todd was born on April 3, 1929, on the family farm near Anthon, Iowa, to Jesse and Lavinia “Vina” (Hannah) Cooper. Wilma came from a long line of industrious and entrepreneurial women. As a child, she cared for the chickens on the family farm and walked to Moville each Saturday to sell the eggs.
As a teenager, Wilma moved to Correctionville, Iowa and lived in the home of Mrs. Helen Shontz while she attended high school and graduated from Correctionville High School with the class of 1947. Wilma continued her education earning a normal teaching certificate from Morningside College (now Morningside University) and taught at a country school in the Wolf Creek area.
On April 3, 1948, Wilma and Loren Todd were united in marriage in Le Mars, Iowa. Together, they raised five children and farmed southwest of Cushing, Iowa. Wilma sold clothing for the Minnesota Woolen Company and cosmetics, perfume, and skin care products for Avon. After Loren passed away from cancer in March 1991, Wilma continued living on the farm for another twenty years.
In the years leading up to her 90th birthday, Wilma recalled that her favorite birthday was her eighth, when her mother baked her a special citrus-flavored marble cake. As a child, she delighted in the rare treat; as an adult, she came to understand how it reflected the depth of her mother’s love. Wilma never learned how her mother managed to procure oranges and chocolate during the Great Depression, but she carried the meaning of that gesture with her throughout her life.
Wilma showed the same care and devotion to her own family. She canned countless jars of tomatoes and peaches, crocheted colorful afghan blankets for her grandchildren, and faithfully saved letters, cards, and photographs from those she loved. She enjoyed feeding the birds, jigsaw puzzles, sewing, and gardening, and she continued tending the flower beds at Pioneer Valley until her final days. After she stopped driving in her later years, nothing brought her more joy than riding with her grandchildren in her former car, a gold 1989 Pontiac Bonneville, which she never quite stopped thinking of as her own.
Left to cherish their memories of Wilma are her children, Allen (Shirley) Todd of Cushing, Iowa, Cynthia Todd of Omaha, Nebraska, Sherry (Dennis) Derochie of McCook Lake, South Dakota, Joyce (Greg) Pitlik of Morton, Illinois, and Russel (Nancy) Todd of Bronson, Iowa; 11 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law Pearl (Bruce) Riordan of Pierson, Iowa. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 43 years, Loren Todd; her parents, Jesse and Vina (Hannah) Cooper; and her brothers, Wayne, Warren, and Willard Cooper.
Wilma will be remembered for her steady presence, strong work ethic, and the quiet ways she expressed love through a lifetime of care for others. She was one of the last of the “Greatest Generation,” shaped by hardship and defined by resilience.
Previous Events
Visitation
16
Jan
417 Birch Street
Lawton, IA 51030
Service
16
Jan
417 Birch Street
Lawton, IA 51030
