A celebration of life service will be at 11:30 AM, Saturday, September 12, at the Bradley Community Center in Bradley, South Dakota. Wilmar Mae Evans was born on May 19, 1929, in Battle Creek, MI, the daughter of Robert and Letha (Yost) Evans. She graduated from Battle Creek High School, then attended Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, and later Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD. During WWII, she was a riveter on the B52 bombers and also was a volunteer at Percy Jones Army Hospital in Battle Creek. This is where she met the love of her life, LeRoy "Bud" Gross, Sr.. They were married on June 7, 1947, and to this union three children were born. In 1962, they moved to Bradley, SD, and later to Crocker, SD, where they built and ran a gas station and cafe. Upon closing this business, they moved several times with Bud's employment. After Bud's death, Wilma worked at the Redfield State School and later, she was an Admission and Travel Clerk at the VA Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, transferring to Minneapolis, and eventually to New York. Her love for cooking and traveling led her to many adventures. She cooked in various places in SD, FL, MS, WY, and Canada. While living in Canada, she married John Lylyk. She became a licensed chef which brought her many opportunities, while in Canada, she cooked in a bush camp for INCO Mining, and managed kitchens in various restaurants and a hotel in Winnipeg. Her hobbies included cookbooks, cooking for family and friends, crocheting afghans for family and friends, reading, watching the news and baseball, politics, and helping others. Wilma died on Sunday, September 6, 2009, at the Johnson Memorial Home in Dawson at the age of 80. Survivors include her daughter, Susan (Carol) Benike of Dawson; son, LeRoy (Carol) Gross, Jr. of Watertown, South Dakota; 8 grandchildren: Melissa, Kristen, Reese, Megan, LeRoy III, Lori, Lynette and Lance; 13 great-grandchildren; other family and friends. Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, LeRoy Gross, Sr; daughter, Jill Mills; sisters: Roberta Cagle, Lillian Weigand; and brothers: David Evans and Robert Evans, Jr.