Stella Agnes Elaine Wilson

Stella Agnes Elaine was born on June 3rd, 1930 to August and Elsa Sirvio in Ewen, Michigan, the youngest of ten children. She was baptized by Leander Wiinamaki. She passed away at home in Battle Ground, Washington, surrounded by her children on November 10th, 2025, at the age of 95 years, 5 months, and 7 days.

At the age of 12 years, after the passing of both of her parents, she moved to Detroit in the fall of 1942. She lived with her sisters in several different homes, attending the Detroit Apostolic Lutheran Church and was confirmed by Paul Heikkinen, not knowing that one of her classmates was Marge Hilman, the mother of her daughter-in-law, Gwen. While in high school she worked for S.S.Kresge’s 5 and 10, and Dun and Bradstreet Credit Agency, graduating in 1947, then working for attorneys. In 1948 she moved to Minnesota and was employed by attorneys in Minneapolis at which time she lived with Rev. and Mrs. John Paana.

On January 15th, 1949 she was united in marriage with Oscar Wilson in Kingston, MN by A. B. Anderson. This union was blessed with four children, Carmelle, Philip, Rita and Eric. During this time they lived on the family farm and Oscar was the pastor at the Kingston Apostolic Lutheran Church. They were married for 35 years until his passing on February 22nd, 1984. Stella worked as the bookkeeper for a small farm association and in 1968 was employed by the Kimball School District as the elementary secretary and in 1972 as the business accountant. She traveled with Oscar to many of the congregations that he was asked to serve as a visiting minister.

Following Oscar’s death and selling the family farm In the fall of 1984, she moved with two of her children, Rita and Eric, to Washington where two, Carmelle and Philip, were previously residing. She lived for 10 years in Vancouver before moving to Battle Ground in 1995. She worked in accounting for Property Management Services Inc. and also did the accounting for the Foreign Mission and General Funds of the ALC Federation. She was a lifelong member of the Apostolic Lutheran Church in various places, and believed her salvation was only through the merits of Jesus.

She enjoyed travel and made many trips to Florida and Arizona, one to Hawaii, several to Canada, two to Mexico and six to Finland and Scandinavia. To commemorate her retirement in 1993, she went on a fjord cruise in the south of Norway. She also went on a mission trip to Russia and attended the wedding of her grandson Matthew to Liv Kristensen in Norway.

She was the last surviving member of her generation on both sides of the family, having been preceded by her sister-in-law, Mary Prouty, in June, 2022. She was preceded in death by her parents, her nine siblings and their spouses, her husband, Oscar, a grandchild Marja Wilson, a granddaughter-in-law, Rosa Wilson, two great-grandchildren, Juniper Wilson and Keaton Traffie and, most recently, her son-in-law Greg Helmes.

Left to survive are her children, Carmelle Helmes; Philip (with Gwen), Rita, and Eric (with Heidi), all living in the Battle Ground area; 17 grandchildren, 51 great-grandchildren, several great- great-grandchildren and a family that continues to grow.