Lila Lee Wiegardt

Lila Lee Meiners Wiegardt passed away March 28, 2024, from natural causes.

Lila was born November 16, 1931, in Moscow, Idaho, to Henry and Vernice Meiners. Henry was a wheat farmer in Pullman, Washington, and Lila had many fond memories of growing up on a wheat farm with her brother, Darrel, and sister, Geraldine. She often recounted stories of living on the farm, especially ice-skating on the pond. Her father, Henry, was president of the Johnson Union Warehouse for many years.

While living on the farm, Lila attended Johnson Elementary School for three years and then went to grade school and high school in Pullman, Washington, after the family moved into town. With three girlfriends, Lila walked a long distance across town to school, picking up friends along the way.

Lila helped her mother feed the harvest crews her father employed, a skill which came in handy years later when feeding her own family and contributing to community potlucks.

She attended college at Washington State College in Pullman and joined Delta Gamma sorority, where she met Dobby Wiegardt at an after-dinner dance. She graduated in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

After Dobby’s service with the Air Force in Korea,  Dobby and Lila were married on October 30, 1954, in Pullman. They went to Houston, Texas, to complete Dobby’s military duty, which was followed by a year in Needham, Massachusetts. During this chapter, their first son, Mark, was born.

They moved to Dobby's hometown of Ocean Park, Washington, where Dobby continued in the family oyster business. Four more children soon followed: Eric, Teresa, and twins Todd and Karen.

Lila was an active member of the Ocean Park United Methodist Church and joined the local Mentor Club. She enjoyed working with Bonnie Sayce and Sue Cowell for ten years at the Ocean Park Timberland Library.  Her primary focus, however, was the care of her family, which she did faithfully and dutifully. She worked hard to create a loving environment for her family and provided a daily spread of delicious meals and desserts. She was a very faithful mother and wife.

Lila enjoyed being outdoors, doing things such as having picnics with her family at the bay, harvesting vegetables from their ample garden, clam digging and mushrooming. 

Lila is survived by her husband, Dobby; sons Eric (Ann) and Todd; daughter, Karen (Peter) Field;  daughter-in-law Sue Cudd;  son-in-law Rick Goodwin, and exchange student Utah Takahashi. She and Dobby share 14 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren with five more arriving soon.

Lila is preceded in death by her parents, Ted and Vernice Meiners; her brother, Darrel; sister, Geraldine; daughter, Teresa; son Mark; and great grandson Barnabas.

Lila’s generosity of spirit, her faithfulness to her family, and her love of community and friends was not only evident in her life, but also through her family. She was much loved and cherished by her family.

Donations may be made to a local cemetery of your choice in memory of Lila.

A memorial service will be held at the Dunes Bible Camp Chapel, Ocean Park;  Sunday, April 21, at 2:30pm.