Orville Wichern

TEXARKANA, Texas -- Orville J. Wichern, joined his Lord and Savior on April 27, 2018, at Reunion Plaza Nursing Home at the age of 91.

Orville (Willie) was born at Point Rest, Missouri, July 22, 1926, to William and Emma Wehmueller Wichern. He was baptized into the faith the same year. He and Dorothy Abernathy married Nov. 26, 1955, and was a devoted husband for 63 years.

Willie was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S Army from 1944 to 1946. He was a longtime member of the American Legion and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville, Missouri. He was employed at John Deere dealerships in Perryville and Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Arlene of Texarkana; daughters, Sharon (Mondo) Rios of New Boston, Texas, Karen (Brad) Dreyer of Texarkana, Arkansas, and Karla (Matt) Kiefner of Jackson; grandchildren, Zachary and Emma Rios, Jeremy (Erin), Hannah, Timothy (Dianah) and Aaron Dreyer and Paige and Jacquelyn Kiefner; great-granddaughter, Arielle Dreyer; and sister, Dorothy (Dot) Sommers.

Preceding him in death were his parents; brothers, Elmer, Floyd (Cotton) and Leroy (Lee) Wichern; and sister, Vera Meyer.

An open house to celebrate Willie's life will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. June 9 at Faith Presbyterian Church, 100 W. North St., Perryville.

Memorial donations may be made to Watersprings Ranch, 7707 Sanderson Lane, Texarkana, AR 71854, www.waterspringsranch.org, or to Perry County Military History Museum, P.O. Box 551, Perryville, MO 63775.