Iva Mae Wieburg

August 04, 1916 - January 14, 2010

Iva Mae Wieburg, age 93, passed away Thursday, January 14, 2010 at Banner Gardens Hospice House in Mesa, Arizona after a brief illness of cancer. She was born the oldest of three children to Josiah Carl Perry and Bessie Mae Fisher Perry on August 4, 1916 at Novelty, Knox County, MO.

After graduating from Novelty High School, she moved to Peoria, IL and graduated from beauty school. She married Richard C.(Dick)Wieburg of Pekin, IL December 26, 1938 and when he served in the US Navy stationed in Norfolk, Virginia Iva Mae accompanied him and continued her profession as a hairdresser. Many times over the years, friends and family heard how she got 50 cents for a shampoo and set and no tip. They did not have children.

When they moved back to Pekin they lived on Derby Street where Iva Mae had a beauty shop and then moved to 320 Catherine where Iva Mae had a beauty shop in her basement. She was one of the early Tupperware and Avon home sales ladies. Her customers either were or quickly became her good friends. She was a perfectionist and her crocheting and embroidering were meticulous and making “scrubbies” out of net and being part of the Sunset Resort Mobile Home Park craft sales was very important to her. She was a great cook and her noodles were legendary.
In later years, she enjoyed making her cousin, Anne Norris’, sugar cookies and sharing them with friends and family. An avid fisherwoman, she could filet a fish leaving no meat on the bone.

Since the death of her sister, Iva spent her summers and falls with her niece, Kay and nephews, Glenn and Neal. She faithfully attended the Perry Reunion each August. She loved to play scrabble, cards and dominos and her day was not complete until she played. She had a Butler family complete with card and domino friends, special places to dine with favorite foods to order along with attending the weekly Rotary meetings and a Texas family, where she attended school with Neal’s wife, Debbie and the children loved to look at her, visit with her, and hear her stories of when she was a child. She had an Arizona family with long time neighbors and a some family members. She attended coffee the very morning before she went into the hospital and attended church and the many activities in the park. Her cousin, Eva Jo Jordan, who died in Arizona on December 28, 2009, after a very brief illness, was her daily telephone contact and often times dinner companion. Iva Mae had an unlimited long distance plan on her telephone and used it!!

She was a member of St Paul United Church of Christ in Pekin, IL and was a life member of Eastern Star in Pekin, IL, having served as Worthy Matron in 1958 and remaining active in Mates and Pates of ‘58.
She entertained them at their lake home at Spring Lake near Manito, IL on many occasions.

After Dick retired from Caterpillar, they spent a winter in Texas and another Arizona before settling Arizona for their place to be snowbirds.
After Dick’s death in June 1981, Iva married Otis Miille of Nebraska, who was also a “snowbird” at Sunset Resort in Mesa, AZ. Otis died March 2005.

Along with her parents and husbands Iva Mae was preceded in death by her sister, Virginia E. Head, on January 21, 2002 and her brother-in-law, Cecil J. Head, on December 26, 1993 and her brother, Howard Marshall Perry, on June 1, 1970.

Iva Mae is survived by the children of her sister, Kay Head Caskey and husband Senator Harold Caskey, of Butler, MO, Glenn Head of Novelty, MO and Neal Head and wife Debra Head of Coppell, Texas and the children of her brother, Cleva Clark and husband Larry of Edina, MO, Marsha Pinson and husband Jim of Novelty, MO and L. C. Perry of Atchison, Kansas; brother-in-law Paul Wieburg of Decatur, IL, sisters-in-law Emily Wieburg and Virginia Wieburg, of Pekin, IL, Judy Miille and Melba Hanson of Nebraska. She is survived by 4 first cousins out of the original 45 first cousins, Grace Killen of Leonard, MO, Blanche Klocke and Roberta Anderson of Edina, MO and Gerald Perry of Novelty, MO and great nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.

Funeral Information

Eastern Star services will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at Henderson Funeral Home in Pekin, IL with memorial services to follow. Cremation has been accorded.

Donations Information

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul United Church of Christ 101 N. 8th Street Pekin, IL 61554.