Irma Gillula

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Irma Edna Bender Gillula, 98, of Oakland died Friday, June 14, 2013, in Oakland.

She was born May 3, 1915, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Wilhelm Friedrich and Anna Wilhelmina Brunke Bender.

Irma was the wife of the late Edgar William Gillula; mother of Bill (Pat) Gillula, Jim (Jo Ann) Gillula and Emily Gillula; and grandmother of Jeremy Gillula, Alex Gillula and Amanda (Yuan) Drummond.

She was preceded in death by sisters and brothers, Olga Bender, Laura (Reman) Birk, Ruth Bender, Walter Bender and Arthur (Mary Jo) Bender.

Irma was baptized May 20, 1915, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Irma was a teacher at Buder School in St. Ann, Mo., many years. During her retirement, she lived in Fairfax, Va., Kalamazoo, Mich., Cape Girardeau, St. Louis and Oakland.

She was a faithful member of many Lutheran congregations in those places and helped to make hundreds of quilts and infant gowns for distribution through Lutheran World Relief.

A service in celebration of Irma's life will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Hope Lutheran Church, 10701 St. Cosmas Lane, St. Ann. Interment will be in Lake Charles Park Cemetery in St. Louis.

Visitation will occur before the service beginning at 9:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Lutheran World Relief, www.lwr.org.

Condolences may be offered through alexanderstlouis.com.