Norma Mathews Wilhelm, formerly of Ada, died on July 14, 2026, in Dublin, Ohio. She was born on May 15, 1931, in Springfield, Illinois, to Esther Fenton Mathews and Harry Herschel Mathews. She grew up in Greenview, Illinois with her sister, Pearl, and brother, John. They all were beloved by her and preceded her in death. In 1951, she married Dale Leroy Wilhelm, and they loved and supported each other for 65 years. 

Norma was an extraordinary woman. After high school, she worked as a secretary for the Illinois Department of Public Health and for the University of Tennessee Graduate School. During her homemaking years, she nurtured her family and communities in West Virginia, Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio. Her life-long pursuit of knowledge included earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Ohio Northern University in 1976. She found great fulfillment in elementary school teaching during the following seven years, after which she left teaching to care for her mother. When Dale retired, they thrived as travelers, grandparents, and volunteers for church work, adult literacy agencies, COSI (Center of Science and Industry), NNEMAP (Near Northside Emergency Material Assistance Program), and local and national political action groups.

Dale passed in 2016, but despite her grief, Norma continued to manifest their shared values of love, justice, generosity, service, kindness, and learning--  values driven by their life-long spiritual journey in the church. Their legacy is carried onward by their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the innumerable friends and others whose lives they touched.

Survivors include children Teresa and George Weiner, Laura Roberts and Gary Stewart, Hoyte and Terri Wilhelm, and Kyle and Jennifer Wilhelm. Grandchildren are Lindsay, Dale and Tori, Luke and Jamie, Aaron and Stacia, Daniel and Nimarta, Eric, Miriam and Dylan, Julia and Jeremy, Megan and Mael, Heidi, Nathan and Heidi, Timothy, Brandon and Taylor. Great-grandchildren are Alex, Addison, Laura Jo, Reese, Clara, Eliza, Fenton, Heath, Walden, Norman, Mazie, Valerie, Loyal, Winston, Felix, and Iris.

Inurnment will be in Elmwood Cemetery, Greenview, Illinois at a private family graveside gathering. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dale and Norma Wilhelm Scholarship at Ohio Northern University (Ada OH), Trinity United Methodist Church (Marble Cliff OH), Ada Public Library (Ada OH), or Friendship Village of Dublin Scholarship Fund (Dublin OH).