Wilda was born on a farm near Pike Lake. She was raised with three brothers and an older sister. Her father and mother were very sports minded. The boys played baseball and the girls played softball.
Wilda's life in ball started very young on a boy's baseball team at Drew Public School playing in the area school league. Her sister Helen, was playing with the ladies traveling team (there were no minor leagues in those days), called Harriston Brownies.

It was also the days when only the catcher and first baseman wore gloves. The coach happened to see Wilda playing in the school league and invited her to come out to a practice. Her father was all for it, but her mother didn't like the idea of her hanging out with girls 10 years older. However Wilda signed her first players certificate in 1931 (12 years old), as a fielder. She soon became the catcher. At the time, Harriston was the only traveling team in the area. They played in the Georgian Bay League.

In the summer of 1936 she met Sade, who played baseball with Ayton. At a street dance in Neustadt, both in ball uniforms, made a date. They had romance going on for a few years and decided to get married in 1939. They has twins (boy and girl) Darle and Daye in 1940. Then in 1944 they had Brian, and Keith was born in 1955. Come every May, Wilda had to play ball, fortunately Grandma and Grandpa just lived down the street. Wilda mentions how great her parents were as well as Sade's too. Wilda and Sade were living in Ayton at the time Brian was born. Sade had been working at the Fisher Poultry Farm for 11 years. When Sade's health broke down they started looking for a building to start a billiard business. Hanover offered Sade a job because they wanted Wilda to play ball with them, but Clifford was in need of a catcher and they helped Wilda and Sade start a poolroom business there in 1946.

Wilda thanks Doc Cruickshank for founding the W.O.A.A. because he was a believer of local and area minor and adult sports. He hired a fellow from Paisley named Tory Gregg, to do the job of organizing hockey and ball teams. The ladies league flourished quickly with nearly every village and town having a team. Now all that was needed was umpires.

Sade and George Ste. Marie from Clifford started having meetings then called clinics. Wilda was invited a couple of times to go umpiring, to fill in. Accompanying Sade to an O.B.A. play-off game in Ayton with Wheatley, the base umpire did not show up. Sade phoned Tory Gregg and he said "take Wilda". There was a good report sent back to the W.O.A.A. Office. So "I was on my way, it was easier than catching".

George Ste. Marie realized the umpires should be dressed uniformly. They started out with dark suits, and then white shirts and dark pants along with black bow ties. Wilds refused to wear men?s pants and said her pockets were too small for a ball, so Wilda made many ball bags for Hamilton, Toronto, Guelph and local areas. Being a good seamstress, Wilda also made a number of the girls ball uniforms.
While playing ball for Clifford Swing Skirts they won five W.O.A.A. championships in seven years. In 1947 with the help of Tory Gregg they organized a Junior Ladies league (12 to 16 years old). The Clifford Juniors won in 3 years and Brussels won in two years. Wilda and Sade sold their business in Clifford and bought the Fergus Bowling Lanes in the fall of 1952, (which they ran for 33 years). In 1953 Wilda signed with the Guelph Green Ghosts. She also organized a team in Fergus called the Bowllets playing in the W.O.A.A. in 1954. She went to play with the Galt Gay Tops in the Big Four League, Detroit, Buffalo, Sarnia and Galt. In 1958 Wilda appeared in the television show "What's My Line" in New York City as a female umpire, and she was very pleased to stump the panel. Wilda put in 57 years on the diamond (never missing a season). The Widmeyer umpire team of Sade, Wilda and Keith were well respected. Wilda umpired with the best including, Maxi Scheff from Toronto. Wilda mentions that, most of all, she owes it to Doc Cruickshank for hiring Tory Gregg of Paisley Ontario who had the knowledge to organize many Ladies and Men"'s ball and hockey leagues in the W.O.A.A. and who gave her the chance to become who she is.

Wilda would also like to thank Sade for all his help in her accomplishments in her ball life. They traveled together, worked together and played together. They discovered that happiness is not having what you want but wanting what you have.

In 1997 as a couple they were inducted into the Canadian Softball Association Hall of Fame as builders, also that year they were the recipients of the O.M. "Mike" Weichel Honour Award for their many years of contributions and support of the W.O.A.A.
We were saddened to hear on July 6, 2004 that Sade had passed away due to injures sustained in a motor vehicle accident. Wilda now resides in the Kitchener area and still enjoys reminiscing her many years on the ball diamond as a catcher and as the first female umpire in the Western Ontario Athletic Association.

On March 2, 2009, Wilda celebrated her 90th birthday with family, friends, old sport acquaintances.

On the left George Ste Marie and on the right Sade Widmeyer in full umpire uniform.

First row: D.Hill, W.Widmeyer, A.Filsinger, J.Skelton

Second row: M.Chilton, W.Seip, A.Dewar, J.Lantz, M.Filsinger, J.Kruspe, S.Kaufman, F.Reading.