Nancy Louise (Wilhelm) Adler, of Bowling Green and formerly of Rudolph, passed away peacefully Friday, April 1, 2022, at her winter home in Haines City, Florida. She was 86.
Born November 21, 1935, Nancy was the fourth of five children born to the late Margaret Maas Wilhelm (Stoll) and Clarence Wilhelm on their family farm near Custar, OH, where she learned at an early age the importance of faith, family and the value of hard work.
Nancy attended Milton Elementary and St. Louis Catholic School and was a 1953 graduate of Liberty Township High School where she was class valedictorian, a cheerleader, and played drums in the marching band.
On May 14, 1955, Nancy married her high school sweetheart, Eugene E. “Coop” Adler, in Custar. They shared 43 years of marriage, raising four daughters and a son on their family farm in Wood County.
Nancy was employed as full-time secretary for 33 years at Milton Elementary School (Bowling Green City Schools), serving under seven school principals, and was named “Employee of the Year” in 1992 before retiring in 1996. A longtime education advocate, Nancy and her husband always stressed the importance of a quality education, resulting in all five of their children graduating with a college degree in their field of interest.
A lifelong member of St. Louis Catholic Church, Custar, Nancy was the matriarch of the Eugene E. Adler family, always encouraging her children to pursue their dreams. She was known as being sweet and loving, tender yet strong, and always emphasized the importance of Christian values, including honesty, respect, acceptance, and forgiveness. One of her core attributes resulting from her steadfast faith was her resiliency to push through many adversities in life including the loss of her husband, Coop, her son, Mike, and son-in-law, Thierry Kernisan. In addition to her devotion to her faith and family, Nancy enjoyed driving tractor on their farm, cooking homemade meals for their hired hands, growing and canning fruits and vegetables, and supporting her husband’s auctioneering career. She was an advisor of the Custar Busy Belles 4-H Club, a member of the Norcross/Meyers American Legion Auxiliary Post #305, Custar. She loved playing cards with her many friends at the Bowling Green Senior Center and, as a “snowbird,” at the Heartland Estates Community Center in Haines City, Fla. She excelled at the game of euchre, playing for over 60 years with her Card Club and in numerous euchre tournaments.
Nancy was an expert in the kitchen and earned several blue ribbons at the Wood County Fair for her peach, coconut cream, lemon meringue, and strawberry pies. She loved attending St. Louis Cardinals’ and New York Yankees’ baseball games, as well as watching college basketball, cheering for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, University of Dayton Flyers, and the BGSU Lady Falcons. Above all, she absolutely adored her children and their spouses, her grandchildren and their families, and her great-grandchildren.
Nancy is survived by four daughters: Deborah (Gary) Codeluppi, Dayton; Diane (Michael) Eisel, Sylvania; Valerie (Daniel) Wigton, Marion; and Marijane Adler, who resides on the Adler Family Farm in Rudolph; eight grandchildren: Kate (Nick) Beck, Dayton; Stephanie (Ryan) Congrove, Delaware; Charles “Chip” Codeluppi, Dayton; Emalee (Ben) Singer, Perrysburg; Rachel Eisel, Sylvania; Eric (Shannon) Wigton, Delaware; Kimberley Valentine, Fishers, Ind., and Sydney Adler, Bowling Green; and five great-grandsons: Henry and Cooper Beck, Ted Congrove, Bennett Singer, and Baby Boy Congrove due in May. Other survivors include two sisters: Kathleen Kempf and Betty (Jack) Whitacre; three sisters-in-law: Mary Wilhelm, Bernadette Thoma and Madonna Beard; daughter-in-law Vicky Valentine-Adler, and a host of loving nieces, nephews, and friends. Nancy was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Eugene E. “Coop” Adler; her son, Michael E. Adler; and son-in-law Thierry Kernisan; two brothers: Richard and Marvin Wilhelm; two sisters-in-law Betty Wilhelm and Louise Adler; and four brothers-in-law: Robert Kempf, Donald Adler, Richard Thoma and James Beard.
Calling hours are 2-7 p.m., Sunday, April 10, at the Deck-Hanneman Funeral Home, 1460 W. Wooster St., Bowling Green, with recitation of the Holy Rosary at 7 p.m. followed by sharing of memories.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted by Father Walter Tuscano at 11 a.m. Monday, April 11, at St. Louis Catholic Church, Custar, with visitation in the church vestibule at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at St. Louis Catholic Cemetery. For those unable to attend in person, the funeral Mass will be posted on the Deck-Hanneman Funeral Home Facebook page two hours following internment and will remain there for the foreseeable future. In lieu of flowers, at Nancy’s request, memorial contributions may be made to St. Louis Catholic Church, 22792 Defiance Pike, Custar, OH 43511; the Wood County Committee on Aging, 140 S. Grove St., Bowling Green, OH 43402; or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Deck-Hanneman Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Nancy L. Adler Family and encourage those to share a fond memory or condolence by visiting www.hannemanfuneralhomes.com.
