White Funeral Home
400 First Street West
Independence, Iowa 50644

INDEPENDENCE – Warren Harding Wilson, an honorable man, of Red Wing, Minnesota and previously of Independence, Iowa, passed away at the age of 102 on December 24, 2022 into his Savior’s arms.

Warren Wilson was born November 4, 1920 in Littleton, Iowa, to Clyde and Blanche Wilson. He is preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Clarice “Jeannie” Wilson, and one son, Jerry Warren Wilson.

He is survived by his children: Patricia (Jim) Pagel of Wabasha, Minnesota, David (Dawn) Wilson of Peoria, Arizona, Pamela (Rick) Culbertson of Des Moines, Iowa, Sandra Miller Wilson (daughter-in-law) of Covington, Louisiana, nine grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Warren graduated from Jesup High School. He married Clarice “Jeannie” Christiansen on November 15, 1942, in Independence, right before he went off to serve in the US Army’s 13^th Armored Division during WW II. During the war, he served as a tank commander, traveling from the coast of France to the German/Austrian border, where his unit set up its command post in the birth home of Hitler.

After the war, Warren first had an egg route and later a milk delivery route before eventually working for the Independence Bulletin Journal and Conservative for many years as the manager of the advertising department.

Family time through the years was filled with picnics and camping. Every summer included a two week family camping vacation traveling around the United States. After they retired, Warren and Jeannie enjoyed traveling to visit their kids and their families in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Arizona. They even spent a summer manning a fire tower atop Kennaday Peak in the Medicine Bow National Forest in southern Wyoming. All their family made the trip to camp at the

foot of the mountain and visit them at the fire tower.

He and Jeannie were great dancers and enjoyed it through the years. Music was a big part of their lives, and family get togethers were never complete without Warren’s guitar and harmonica playing. For their 50th wedding anniversary, he wrote a love song for Jeannie that he continued to sing to her through the years.

Grandchildren always knew time with Grandpa Warren meant fishing along the banks of the Wapsipinicon River or below the dam at Fontana County Park. Warren was also an avid card and game player, and time spent at their house always included lots of cribbage and dominoes, as well as yard games of darts, horseshoes, volleyball, and croquet. Evenings were spent sitting on the porch with Grandpa and Grandma, watching the lightning bugs and bats come out.

Warren will be missed terribly and remembered as the personification of the “Greatest Generation.” He was truly one of the most humble, thoughtful, gracious, selfless, helpful, kind, and caring people anyone would ever have the privilege of meeting, and those who met him inevitably liked him.

A Celebration of Life will be held this summer.