WILHELM, George (Bud)

The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ July 15, 1998, p. 12 George “Bud” Wilhelm of Wickenburg died July 1 in Glendale. He was 81. Mr. Wilhelm was born April 6, 1917 in St. Louis, Missouri and had been a resident of Arizona for 13 years. Bud enlisted in the Navy on July 26, 1940 and went to U.S.N.R.M.S. school in Chicago and also to commissioned officers school in Annapolis, Maryland. He was commissioned an ensign in June of 1941. While in the Navy, he had duty in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, and also was in the Bureau of Personnel in Washington, D.C. He put into commission two destroyers, the USS Kidd DD661 and the USS Gurke DD783. Bud was Lt. Commander and served eight years and five months. He was discharged on December 8, 1948. Bud took over his dad’s place of business with his brother Carl at Wilhelm’s Dept. Store in St. Louis, Missouri. He operated it alone from 1952- 1981 when the store was liquidated. He retired and came to Wickenburg on October 31, 1985. He was active in servicing daily mass and ushering at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 9838, B.P.O. Elks Lodge 2160, the USS Kidd East Coast association, and the Louisiana Navel War Memorial Foundation in Baton Rouge, where the USS Kidd was moored as a memorial ship in the Mississippi River. As George’s shipmates would say to him, “Good and faithful friend, you are going to a safe harbor now, but you will be missed very much by family and friends.” He was a dear father, step-father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother-in-law, uncle and cousin. He died fortified with the Sacrament of the Holy Mother Church. Survivors include his wife Doris A. of Wickenburg; daughter Beth; sons George, Paul and Mark; and step-sons Clifford and Randall. He was preceded in death by his first wife Betsy; brother, Carl; and sisters, Evelyn, Elsie, Ann and Gertrude. He was the son of the late Minnie and George J. Wilhelm, Sr. A rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Friday, July 24 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church and a funeral mass will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 25 at the St. Anthony church, with Father John Vogt officiating. Inurnment will be in the St. Anthony of Padua Columbarium Contributions may be made to the Alzheimers Association, 1028 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85006 or the American heart Association in the name of George J. “Bud” Wilhelm. Brown’s Wickenburg Funeral Home handled all the arrangements.