We’d like to invite you to know Wilma Dilgard.

If you come to Parkview on Sunday morning you could find her in a variety of places – greeting you at the door, helping in the children’s ministry, or attending church service. Wherever you find her, though, you will discover that she is 81 years young and a firecracker of energy! Wilma is a vibrant person who loves people and enjoys helping others.

We are certainly aware of what she does at our church, but what is even more exciting is the care she provides for others in our community.  As a Hospice caregiver, Wilma Dilgard has volunteered more than 4,000 hours since her retirement from Whirlpool.

“If you think you can do something, you can do it.” She says. Wilma started visiting shut-in people when she was about 8 years old. She asked her Mother, “Do you think my brother and I could go and see them and sing to them?” Her Father was very wise and added that when they got done singing; they should ask them if there was some task she could do for them. “In those days there was always water to pump, or firewood to get that a shut-in person might need help with."

Later she asked her mother if she could give the shut-ins gifts for Christmas.  Wilma didn’t have any money, so she gave them gifts of service instead. Her mother told her “If you make a promise, then you need to keep it. Remember, when you get home from school you need to do your chores and then do homework.“  Wilma took pages from her yellow tablet, wrote promises on them, and made scrolls, tying them up with binder twine. “Most of the things I did on Saturdays. If you make a promise, it is binding.” Wilma kept her promises, too, and continued helping others in this way through high school. She saw her parents helping others.  “It was something that was in front of me all the time   -  we called it being a good neighbor”

Wilma says that her husband was from the old school – the mother stays home and takes care of the children.  When their children got in high school she wanted to work and took a job on the night shift at RCA.  While there, she was asked to donate blood. She had never done this before, and was nervous, but did it anyway. Later, she went to work at Whirlpool and continued to donate blood so she could help others. Then one day, she was diagnosed with cancer – she couldn’t give any more blood.  “I cried,” She says.  “Here was something I liked to do, and now I couldn’t do it.” It was then that she made a pledge that when she retired she would find something important to do for others.

After she retired from Whirlpool, she took a 6-week course at the hospital to train to be a Hospice caregiver. Then she started spending time with terminally ill patients.  “Once a week I would go and have coffee and talk.  We just became friends.”

Except for a period to take care of her ailing husband, Wilma has been actively helping Hospice patients.  “Last year I got a 4,000 hour pin – even with the 9 years out to take care of my husband.”

Sometimes she wonders “Am I doing this for myself, or for the Lord.  Then I have to do some thinking and ask, Lord, can You and I do this together?”

Wilma is quite busy visiting people. She thinks she will volunteer between 800-900 hours this year. “It’s not about the quantity of time,” Wilma says “It’s got to be quality. I’m there and I have an opportunity share God’s word. [I ask them] You do know Jesus don’t you?  God said He would never leave us. And He is always going to be there for us.  If they allow me to, I will read from Gods Word.”

 “I Have been on a vigil for 5 days at a time.  Sometimes they fool you. One time I had a patient for two years and she got so well she went off the program.”

“One time I said ‘Merry Christmas’ to a patient. She said to me ‘Just what do I have to be merry about? ‘   I told her, ‘I could be your family.’ She said to me ‘Would you do this?’   Her family was from Portland Oregon.  I visited her once a week. “

“Sometimes giving care takes some elbow grease. We went into a home where one person lived and we cleaned it.  Whatever the need, if it is at all possible, we do it.”

Speaking to a class of people training to become Hospice volunteers, she told them “My name is Wilma Dilgard, and I am a BVH Hospice volunteer.  I’ll tell you something. When you get out in that field and you connect with patients, you will never be the same.”

“Everything that happens in my life is God-influenced.  I accepted Christ when I was 10 years old and I have had to tell people every since. I think that’s why I am so content.  I really think God has me right where He wants me to be.”