July 8, 1926 – January 27, 2022
Donald Wilken, 95, of Meadow passed away at Monument Health in Rapid City on Thursday, January 27, 2022.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 3, 2022 at the Bethel Free Lutheran Church in Faith with Pastor Andy Coyle, officiating. Burial with military honors will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon at the Chance Cemetery south of Meadow.
Donald Eugene Wilken was born at the Wilken homestead northwest of Faith on July 8, 1926 to Henry and Georgia (Wilson) Wilken. He attended local country schools and graduated from Faith High School in 1944. He began ranching and farming with his father. He attended Black Hills State College during the summers, then taught in country schools for the next four years.
In 1950 he was called into the Army and was stationed at Fort Riley, KS, for two years. He took up flying while in the service and purchased his own plane. He returned to the ranch and went back to teaching country schools in Perkins County.
While teaching at the Prairie View School, he met Lulu Mae Lyon, who was also teaching. They were married May 25, 1955. They continued to teach and ranch for three more years until 1958, when they stayed home to ranch full time. Linda was born that fall, and Gary was born in 1961. Don and Lulu Mae loved the ranch life, raising their family, and getting together with their neighbors and playing cards. Gary and Lori joined them on the ranch in 1989. Don and Lulu Mae enjoyed traveling including three trips to Alaska.
Throughout his life, he was a follower of Jesus and a faithful church member. Don was faithful in his care of Lulu Mae as her health failed. During coffee time, he prioritized reading the Bible and the Daily Bread.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lulu Mae in 2012, his parents, an infant sister, his brother, George Wilken, brother-in-law, Franklin “Red” and Margaret Lyon and sister-in-law, Sam and Helen Tidball.
Celebrating his life and journey to heaven are his children, Linda and Erling Olsen of Dupree and Gary and Lori Wilken of Meadow; 9 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren; his sister-in-law, Janet Wilken; and many special nieces and nephews.