Wilma Jean Juel

Wilma Jean Christensen Juel, the daughter of Cyrus G. and Blanche (Campbell) Peterson, was born December 31, 1922, at her parents’ home in rural Audubon County, Iowa and died September 3, 2016, at The Comfort House in Pella, Iowa at the age of 93 years, 8 months, and 2 days.
Wilma was baptized at the Methodist Church in Audubon, Iowa and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Adair, Iowa where she remained a member for 28 years. She attended rural schools then graduated from the Audubon High School with the Class of 1941 with a Normal Training Certificate. Wilma taught school for 4 years and received extra school credits at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa.
On June 12, 1945, she was united in marriage to James F. Christensen at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa. They were blessed with three children Bonita, Marcia, and Mark. The family lived on a farm outside of Exira, Iowa from 1951-1978. All phases of farm life were a joy to her, especially rearing her family. She enjoyed cooking, baking, sewing, gardening, and entertaining. During these years she taught Sunday school and Bible school. She attended Bible studies and church circle. Wilma was a 4-H leader and a member of the local garden club. Jim died in 1981 in Audubon, Iowa from a lingering illness. The next few years, Wilma was employed at several local retail stores.
On February 19, 1991, she married Niels C. Juel at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church Chapel in Audubon, Iowa. They made their home in Audubon. They enjoyed families, neighbors, card clubs, and social gatherings. They also traveled extensively by air, bus and auto. In 2009 they moved to the Walnut Grove Independent Retirement Facility in Omaha, Nebraska. Niels died March 26, 2014. Wilma then moved to Pella, Iowa to be near her daughter Bonnie. Wilma was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. She was a member of the Audubon County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the American Legion and V.F.W. auxiliaries.
Preceding her in death were her husbands James F. Christensen and Niels C. Juel; her son-in-law Joseph Hamilton; her great grandson Joseph Hamilton; her parents Cyrus G. and Blanche W. Peterson; her step-father Theo Jensen; her sisters-in-law Tena Harder, Lil Sievers, and Ruby Christensen; her brothers-in-law Donald Steffensen, Lyle Lauritsen, Don Harder, Walt Sievers, and Elmer Christensen.
Survivors include her children Bonita Hamilton Chase and husband Carlos of Pella, Iowa, Marcia Laub of Buffalo, New York, and Mark Christensen of Riverside, California; her step-children Twila Juel and Merlin and wife Dee Juel of all of Omaha, Nebraska; her grandchildren Aaron and wife Regina Hamilton of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and their children Clara, Hudson, and Danica, Missy and husband Lucas Szczesniak of Buffalo, New York and their children Lucas and Campbell, David and wife Amber Wilson of Colorado Springs, Colorado and their children Carter and Eli, and Jasmin Williams of Culver City, California and her daughter Milan; her step grandchildren Shannon and husband Alan Rogers of Colorado Springs, Colorado and their children Austin Evans, Daniel, Jessica, and Lauren, Staci and husband Brandon Cohn of Lincoln, Nebraska and their children Camden and Carter, Christi and husband Ryan Fleming of Burlingame, California and their children Sydney and Olivia, and Curt and wife Lisa Chase of Kansas City, Missouri and their children Greta and Eli; her sister Helen Lauritsen of Audubon, Iowa; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be conducted by Pastor Doug Opp on Thursday, September 8, 2016, at 11:00 A.M. at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa. A private family interment will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon. The casket bearers will be her family. The family will meet with friends Thursday morning September 8, 2016, at 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa. The family prefers memorials to Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon or The Comfort House Hospice, 505 Union Street Pella, Iowa 50219.