Wanda Imogene Wimer, 99, of Crawford, died at St. Joseph’s Hospital on October 28, 2026. Born May 5, 1927, at home in Morgantown, she was the daughter of Irene Mae Mick and William Harold Wimer.
Imogene (she insisted on using her middle name from the time she could talk) finished high school at 15 and then began studying education at Glenville State College (now Glenville State University), her mother’s alma mater. When she was 16 – before she finished her degree – she started teaching elementary school as part of a program that replaced teachers who had been drafted to serve in the Army during World War II.
As the war ended in 1945, when she was only 18, Imogene received her bachelor’s degree and began her formal teaching career in Kanawa Head. Two years later, in 1947, she moved to a four-room schoolhouse in Rock Cave, where she taught fourth grade for thirty years. Also in 1947, Imogene and her cousin Betty Wimer – who had attended Glenville State College with her – were charter members of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary organization of women educators dedicated to educational excellence, altruism and world understanding.
Imogene also was a member of the Upshur County Textbook Committee for more than 20 years. In 1975, she was promoted to principal of the Rock Cave School. During the last 14 years of her career, Imogene worked for the Upshur County Schools in Buckhannon as the General Supervisor of K-12 Education. She retired in 1992.
Throughout her adult life, Imogene was a lay leader of the Straight Fork United Methodist Church, which was built by her grandfather in the late 19th century. She also taught Sunday School and played the piano during services at the church, which is across the highway from her home.
After retiring, Imogene served on the board of directors of several nonprofit organizations in Upshur and Lewis County. She was particularly proud of spearheading the creation of the Tri-County Health Clinic in Rock Cave (now Community Care of Rock Cave).
Imogene devoted many hours a week to the Straight Fork Community Educational Outreach Service (CEOS), which is part of a statewide voluntary nonprofit organization that is supported by the West Virginia University Extension. When she was a young teacher in 1950, Imogene and her mother Irene founded the Straight Fork CEOS. (The organization was first established in 1914 in Ohio County as the Farm Women’s Club.) Straight Fork CEOS, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, was Imogene’s favorite organization, the one she was most proud of creating, and its monthly meeting was the last one she attended.
As The Weston Democrat noted, “On the evening of Oct. 2, [2026,] the Straight Fork CEOS Club met for its regular meeting. President Imogene Wimer called the meeting to order. First, she read five ‘One Sentence Sayings’ from the Complete Book of Zingers.” Imogene always said, “make them laugh before you start speaking and they will be happy to listen to you.”
Imogene never married and had no children. She is survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A celebration of Imogene’s life will be held at a future date at the Straight Fork United Methodist Church, where her remains will be interred in the Wimer Cemetery.
