Arlene Rose Salter's Obituary
Arlene Rose Salter was born March 22, 1918 to John and Elizabeth (Witte) Wilhelmi in Aurora, Illinois.Along with her twin sisters, Esther and Helen, Arlene sang in New York at the Major Bowes Original Amateur Hour, after winning a talent contest at the Paramount Theater in Aurora, Illinois. They won the competition in New York and were offered a tour around the country, but their father would not allow them to go. The Wilhelmi Trio, as they were known, sang in the church choir and they also had a weekly radio program on WMRO in Aurora, Illinois. On July 10, 1940 she married Russell Salter, whom she met at the radio station. Arlene and Russ built and operated 11 radio stations in the Chicago and Rockford, Illinois areas and also in Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Southern Illinois Arlene was preceded in death by her parents, 2 brothers, twin sisters Esther and Helen, her husband Russ, and 1 daughter, Jill Salter Nelson.She is survived by her 2 daughters, Kathy (Jerry) Wells of Ft. Myers and Shelly Salter of Bonita Springs and Son-in-law Carroll Nelson of Ft. Myers. She also leaves behind 14 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 AM thursday, April 9, 2015 at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home. Friends will be received from 10:30 AM until the time of the service.Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907, 239-936-0555. Online condolences may be made at: www.fortmyersmemorial.com.
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