Walter Wilkening

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Walter Theodore Wilkening of Columbia passed away peacefully Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, at the age of 91.

Services will be Tuesday, with visitation at 1 p.m., followed by the memorial service at 2 p.m. at Community United Methodist Church in Columbia.

Walt was born on a farm near Oak Ridge on Sept. 8, 1925, to Theodore C. and Myrtle Lang Wilkening.

He was preceded in death by an older sister, Verna; older brothers, Eugene and Marvin; and wife, Norma Richter Wilkening, whom he had married on St. Patrick’s Day, 1945, at Zion United Methodist Church.

He is survived by sons, David Wayne of Summerville, South Carolina, and Lee Edward of Phoenix.

Walt accomplished the amazing feat of progressing from a rural farm upbringing during the Great Depression, where he rode his horse to a one-room schoolhouse at Apple Creek Valley Rural School, all the way to obtaining a Ph.D.

As a young boy, he was active in 4-H and was the first person from Cape Girardeau County to win the Thomas E. Wilson Meat Animal Award, a feat that inspired him to go to college to become a County Extension agent. After graduating from Oak Ridge High School, he attended Southeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri–Columbia (UMC), where he obtained a bachelor of science degree in 1949.

After working for 12 years, he obtained a master of science degree in Extension education at UMC in 1963, before obtaining his doctorate in Extension administration in 1965 from the University of Wisconsin. He also was past president of the Epsilon Sigma Phi Extension professional organization at UMC.

After obtaining his bachelor of science degree in 1949, Walt embarked on a 40-year career at UMC. His career began with 10 years working as county Extension agent for the UMC Extension Service, the position he had always dreamed of as a boy. He later worked in 12 other roles at UMC, including program development for the Extension Information Department, campus coordinator for the UMC–USAID (United States Agency for International Development) program and the director of conferences and short courses.

However, perhaps most notably, during his career were several stints working as Extension adviser in UMC–USAID programs consisting of two years in Bihar, India; six years in Bhubaneswar, India; and, finally, two years in Suakoko, Liberia. His loyal and adventurous wife accompanied him on all these trips, including taking their two young sons on the trips to India, where they obtained an extraordinary cultural experience of their own.

Walt and Norma were lifetime members and supporters of the United Methodist Church and, after Walt’s retirement in 1990, they continued their lifelong commitment of helping others improve their lives by becoming Volunteers in Mission to various church-related and charitable organizations at 16 locations within the U.S. and overseas.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks gifts be made to Community United Methodist Church in Columbia.

Online tributes may be left at www.memorialfuneralhomeandcemetery.com.

Memorial Funeral Home in Columbia was in charge of arrangements.