Elmer L. Wilson was the youngest born of 12 children to Joseph M.D.W.Wilson and Lucy "Lulu" Marion Caldwell Wilson.
He was born in a covered wagon in Rocky Ford, Colorado, as his family was moving from Stella, Oklahoma. The only personal items they had at the time were the clothes on their backs and his mother's sewing machine. His best childhood memories were of the ranch years in Chama, New Mexico. He and his brothers Ben and Fred were accomplished rodeo participant in his teen years in the Chama, NM and Pagosa Springs, CO area.

He married Josephine "Josie" McGuire, youngest daughter of James E. McGuire and Flora L. Walker McGuire in Arbolese, Archuleta Co., CO. Both their sons were born in Pagosa Springs, CO. The family moved several times over the years He worked much of his adult in working silver and gold mines in CO, CA, AZ, NV, & ID. Josie and Elmer's sons both earned diplomas at Wallace High School, Wallace, Shoshone County, Idaho.

He & his brother Ben helped the war effort in WWII by traveling to Honolulu to join the crews that repaired and rebuilt the damaged battleships from the Pearl Harbor attack.

He moved to CA permanently about 1957 and worked until retirement age in the cement business. He was especially proud of his part in the building of the Bonita Bridge, in the San Francisco Bay area.

Elmer adored his wife, Josie. He built her a waterfall in thier backyard, and made a huge patio with her name gracing it in decorative stones. He loved to fish the American & Sacramento Rivers and caught the biggest fish of his life there on his first birthday following Josie's death - He sent a photo to us with the caption "Happy Birthday to Me from the Grandma!" His sentimental and humorous personality was endearing to all who knew him.

Elmer was part of the cement crew creating the long road up the hill to the cemetery where his remains lie next to his devoted wife, Josie's. As we were leaving his graveside service, I recall my father telling us to look at the cement curb going all the way down the memorial park driveway, then saying "Your grandfather laid that curb, and now he lays here."

In the mid 1980's, he ordered an official birth certificate from the state of Colorado. He learned that his first and middle names were actually reversed, but since he'd always gone by "Elmer" , he chose to "keep it simple" as he said it.

He died in the home of his son, Harvey, in Concord, California. Buried in a plot near Elmer & Josie, are sister-in-laws: Mary Winter Selby Wilson, first wife of Elmer's brother Ben Wilson, as well as Alice Peterson Wilson, first wife of Elmer's brother Fred Wilson and second wife of Elmer's brother Ben. A vial of the ash remains of Elmer's son, Carl, are buried at the base of Elmer & Josie's grave marker.