Obituary for Carmen E. Dilsaver (Wilemon)
Carmen E Dilsaver 1921 - 2021
Carmen Dilsaver (Wilemon) was anything but ordinary. Living to see her 100th birthday, she made everything around her more beautiful. A lover of all art, she was an incredibly talented painter, sewer, avid reader, storyteller, gardener, dancer, and whistler. She especially loved painting to Bob Ross, reading Harlequin Romance novels, watching Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw, and whistling to Johnny Cash and Conway Twitty. She was loved, is missed, and will always be cherished. She was an amazing wife, sister, mother, daughter, grandmother, and great grandmother.
Carmen’s story begins on September 14, 1921, the oldest child to Silus Van Wilemon and Lou Ida Holley. Carmen was born in the Village of Paden, Tishomingo, Mississippi on her grandpa Wilemon’s farm with no running water or electricity. Shortly after the death of her mother, her father moved her brothers and her to Michigan to work for the Ford Motor Company. Her brothers, Hannon, Holley, and Roy have all proceeded her in death. She came to live in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1936 when she was just 17 years old. A bustling town with horses and buggies, she loved the cooler temperatures of the Michigan seasons. One day while accompanying her Uncle Phil on a delivery to Michigan Carton, a supervisor offered her a job. She would go on to work at Michigan Carton, Kellogg Co., and Robinson’s department store. She bought war bonds with her salary to support the WWII efforts. She met the love of her life, Clair (Bud) Dilsaver, of Battle Creek, MI, and they were married on October 11, 1941. He was an engineer for United Steel & Wire Co. She became a homemaker and worked alongside Bud in the family store, D&D Market. They both had a love of flying that was passed down to their son Ron. With Bud piloting and Carmen co-piloting, they went on many flying adventures with the family, even taking the Chief of the Tishomingo Tribe up for his first flying experience. After 55 years of marriage, Bud passed on September 20, 1996.
Carmen was renowned for her cooking and baking skills. Her beef and noodles were always a required dish at every family reunion. She loved to make corn bread in her caste iron skillet and would delight her children and grand-children with home-cooked southern cuisine like hominy and fried chicken. Her granddaughters have fond memories of playing dress up with her wigs, make-up, & jewelry, and learning to waltz on grandma’s feet. Her laugh was contagious, and even though she had not lived in Mississippi for over 80 years, she kept her thick southern drawl and used her favorite phrase “Hells Bells” often.
Loved ones that cleared the path for Carmen are her father Silus Wilemon, mother Lou Ida Holley, her beloved husband Clair Dilsaver, daughter Gwyn Webber, and her brothers, Hannon, Holley, and Roy Wilemon. Loved ones that will miss Carmen until they meet again are her son and daughter in-law Ronald Dilsaver and Dotty (Pearce) Dilsaver; her son-in-law Jack Webber, and her four grandchildren Kim (Webber) McDaniel and her husband Buddy, Tracy (Webber) Neal, Marni (Dilsaver) Sawicki, and Margo (Dilsaver) Tramel and her husband Rob. Her five great-grandchildren, Joshua Shumate, Madisson Sawicki, Brendon Sawicki, Chloe Fitzgerald, and Sophie Tramel will also miss their grandma’s funny stories.
And so, the story goes on until we see our precious mom and grandma again. We all love you and miss you.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Heartland Hospice in Battle Creek, or to the charity of your choice in Carmen’s name.
Celebration of her life will be November 18, 2021 at the Ft. Custer National Cemetery followed by a luncheon at North Avenue Church of God in Battle Creek, MI.
Carmen Dilsaver (Wilemon) was anything but ordinary. Living to see her 100th birthday, she made everything around her more beautiful. A lover of all art, she was an incredibly talented painter, sewer, avid reader, storyteller, gardener, dancer, and whistler. She especially loved painting to Bob Ross, reading Harlequin Romance novels, watching Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw, and whistling to Johnny Cash and Conway Twitty. She was loved, is missed, and will always be cherished. She was an amazing wife, sister, mother, daughter, grandmother, and great grandmother.
Carmen’s story begins on September 14, 1921, the oldest child to Silus Van Wilemon and Lou Ida Holley. Carmen was born in the Village of Paden, Tishomingo, Mississippi on her grandpa Wilemon’s farm with no running water or electricity. Shortly after the death of her mother, her father moved her brothers and her to Michigan to work for the Ford Motor Company. Her brothers, Hannon, Holley, and Roy have all proceeded her in death. She came to live in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1936 when she was just 17 years old. A bustling town with horses and buggies, she loved the cooler temperatures of the Michigan seasons. One day while accompanying her Uncle Phil on a delivery to Michigan Carton, a supervisor offered her a job. She would go on to work at Michigan Carton, Kellogg Co., and Robinson’s department store. She bought war bonds with her salary to support the WWII efforts. She met the love of her life, Clair (Bud) Dilsaver, of Battle Creek, MI, and they were married on October 11, 1941. He was an engineer for United Steel & Wire Co. She became a homemaker and worked alongside Bud in the family store, D&D Market. They both had a love of flying that was passed down to their son Ron. With Bud piloting and Carmen co-piloting, they went on many flying adventures with the family, even taking the Chief of the Tishomingo Tribe up for his first flying experience. After 55 years of marriage, Bud passed on September 20, 1996.
Carmen was renowned for her cooking and baking skills. Her beef and noodles were always a required dish at every family reunion. She loved to make corn bread in her caste iron skillet and would delight her children and grand-children with home-cooked southern cuisine like hominy and fried chicken. Her granddaughters have fond memories of playing dress up with her wigs, make-up, & jewelry, and learning to waltz on grandma’s feet. Her laugh was contagious, and even though she had not lived in Mississippi for over 80 years, she kept her thick southern drawl and used her favorite phrase “Hells Bells” often.
Loved ones that cleared the path for Carmen are her father Silus Wilemon, mother Lou Ida Holley, her beloved husband Clair Dilsaver, daughter Gwyn Webber, and her brothers, Hannon, Holley, and Roy Wilemon. Loved ones that will miss Carmen until they meet again are her son and daughter in-law Ronald Dilsaver and Dotty (Pearce) Dilsaver; her son-in-law Jack Webber, and her four grandchildren Kim (Webber) McDaniel and her husband Buddy, Tracy (Webber) Neal, Marni (Dilsaver) Sawicki, and Margo (Dilsaver) Tramel and her husband Rob. Her five great-grandchildren, Joshua Shumate, Madisson Sawicki, Brendon Sawicki, Chloe Fitzgerald, and Sophie Tramel will also miss their grandma’s funny stories.
And so, the story goes on until we see our precious mom and grandma again. We all love you and miss you.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Heartland Hospice in Battle Creek, or to the charity of your choice in Carmen’s name.
Celebration of her life will be November 18, 2021 at the Ft. Custer National Cemetery followed by a luncheon at North Avenue Church of God in Battle Creek, MI.