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- _P_CCINFO 2-14330
[ColfaxDeutschlandPlatte.FBK.FTW]
From THE COLUMBUS (NE.) TELEGRAM, March 21, 2008-
Wilbert Wilken, 93 of Columbus, Nebraska, died Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at the Butler County Health Care Center in David City.
The funeral service will be held on Monday, March 24, 2008, at 10:30 AM at Immanuel Lutheran Church with Rev. Kurt Ebert and Rev. David Palomaki officiating. Interment will be in the Columbus Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM at the Gass Haney Funeral Home and continue on Monday from 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM at the Immanuel Lutheran Church with a family prayer service at 10:15 AM. Memorials are suggested to the Immanuel Lutheran Grade School.
Wilbert Louis Wilken was born July 18, 1914, to August Louis and Emma Wilhemina (Krumland) Wilken on the family farm ten miles north of Columbus. He was the third of six children. He was educated through the eighth grade at Christ Lutheran School and graduated from Kramer High School in 1932. During his high school years he began working as a stock boy in the J.C. Penney store in Columbus and continued with them as a full time employee after graduation. He married Ruby Behlen on August 18, 1940. He was a lifelong member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and assumed numerous leadership positions within his congregations over his many years. He was also an active member of the Rotary Club International.
During his years with the Penney Company, he was promoted to become a store manager, working in stores in Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa. He retired from the Penney Company in 1974 while living in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Over the next few years he taught at Iowa Western Community College, worked with the Service Core of Retired Executives (SCORE), and golfed. To facilitate this habit in cold weather, he and Ruby began spending winters in southern Texas. In 1986 they returned to Columbus and resided at Wagner's Lakes.
Wilbert is survived by:
Wife - Ruby Wilken of Columbus, NE
Son - James (Dr. Grace) Wilken of Emmitsburg, MD
Daughter - Ruth (Dr. Victor) Thoendel of David City, NE
Sisters - Luella Marolf and Phyllis Peterson both of Columbus, NE
Sisters-in-law - Betty Wilken of Lincoln, NE, Lois Behlen of Columbus, NE, Francis Brakel of Evansville, IN
11 Grandchildren - Scott (Katie) Wilken of Ft. Wayne IN, Sara (Doug) Theobald of Lincoln, NE, Dr. David (Tara) Battaglia of Fayetteville, AR, Becci (Evan) Neesen of Omaha, NE, Torie Thoendel of David City, NE, Trish (Mike) Heins of Kearney, Carrie (Kurt) Kuhlman of Columbus, NE, Christy (Tim) Decker of Omaha, NE, Sue (John) King of Des Moines, IO, Marcus (Carrie) Thoendel of Bellwood, NE, Matthew Thoendel of Iowa City, Iowa
17 Great-grandchildren
Wilbert was preceded in death by:
Parents - August and Emma Wilken
Brothers - Clarence, Milton, and Lorenz Wilken
One Great-grandchild
Numerous brothers and sisters in law
Original individual @I4167@ (@MS_WURDEMANLEGACYG0@) merged with @I03371@ (@MS_WURDEMANNGM.GED1@)
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1914 - 2008 (93 years)