CURTIS L. WILHELM
From "The Tulsa World," Saturday, October 18, 2003, Section A, Page 18
SAPULPA -- Curtis L. Wilhelm, a retired T.D. Williamson Inc. materials manager and foremer World War II POW, died Wednesday. He was 79.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Beaver Street Baptist Church in Jenks under the direction of Smith Funeral Home.
Wilhelm was born Oct. 4, 1924, in Shawnee to Joseph and May Wilhelm.
He lived in the Tulsa and Sapulpa area most of his life and graduated from Tulsa's Central High School in 1942.
He joined the Army Air Corps that same year.
The B-17 on which Wilhelm was a waist gunner was shot down during a World War II bombing mission in Germany in 1944.
Wilhelm was captured by Nazi troops and held as a prisoner of war for 18 months.
Fifty-four years after he was captured, when Wilhelm heard that other veterans were receiving belated war medals, he leanred that his service record did not reflect that he was a World War II prisoner of war.
Using the archives of the Tulsa World, Wilhelm was able to rectify his military record, and Congress honored him with the Prisoner of War Medal and the Air Medal in December 1998.
He also received a Purple Heart and other medals.
When Wilhelm returned from the war, he married Mary Elenora Trilck and worked his way up from a bus driver to a supervisor for Tulsa City Lines.
He later worked for a company that took him out of state, but the Wilhelms returned in 1954.
He retired in 1987 after 31 years with T.D. Williamson Inc.
Wilhelm was president of the Tulsa Management Club from 1967 to 1968 and was on the Sapulpa Rural Water Co. board of directors for 21 years.
He had been the music director at Carbondale, Oakridge, Ridgeway and South Heights Baptist churches.
He is survived by one daughter, Sheila Simmons of Sapulpa; one son, Joe Wilhelm of Grove, five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Friends are making memorial contributions to the American Diabetes Association or to the Gideons.
CURTIS L. WILHELM
Our earthly father, Curtis L. Wilhelm, 79, went to be with our Heavenly Father, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003 at St. John Medical Center, Tulsa, Okla.
Born Oct. 4, 1924 in Shawnee, Oklahoma to Joseph Curtis and May Wilhelm. He lived in the Tulsa/Sapulpa area most of his life, graduated from Tulsa Central High School, class of 1942.
Curtis joined the U.S. Army Air Forces right after high school graduation. He went from basic training on to Sergeant First Class. In April 1943 he received a diploma from the U.S. Army Air Forces Technical School - Fighter Aircraft Armorer. In July 1943 he received a diploma for Aerial Gunners.
He left for Europe in November 1943 and returned to the United States in June 1945. Curtis operated waist machine guns on a Flying Fortress B-17. His plane was shot down over Germany. He was captured and was a Prisoner of War for 18 months.
He received many 8th Air Force World War II war medals: OK Cross of Valor, Prisoner of War Medal, The Air Medal, American Campaign, Purple Heart, World War II and European Operation.
Sgt. Wilhelm displayed professional skill and devotion to duty in the successful completion of missions prior to being shot down, injured and held as a prisoner of war until April 29, 1945.
Sgt. Wilhelm distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight as Waist Gunner, 407th Bombardment Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force from Nov. 10, 1943 to Jan. 30, 1944.
Upon returning home from the war, he married his sweetheart, Mary Elenora Trilck on July 15, 1945. They had known each other since they were 12 years old. The couple was married by the Rev. J.C. Wilhelm, Wilhelm's father. The afternoon ceremony was at Glenwood Baptist Church in Tulsa. They celebrated 57 years of marriage.
After the war, Curtis was employed by Tulsa City Lines. He worked his way from bus driver to supervisor in 1950.
His next job took him to Arlington, Va., and Baltimore. They moved back to Tulsa in 1954.
Curtis was a retired materials manager with T.D. Williamson Inc. He retired in 1997 after 31 years on the job. He also was elected president of the Tulsa Management Club 1967-68.
He served on the Board of Directors for the Sapulpa Rural Water Company for 21 years. His love for music found him directing music at Carbondale Baptist Church, Oakridge Baptist and Ridgeway Baptist and South Heights Baptist. He had a great love for the Lord and music.
Dad was a member of Beaver Street Baptist Church, Jenks, Okla. He loved to sing in the choir and enjoyed his Sunday school class. He also had a love for flying. He had his pilot's license and even achieved a commercial airline pilot license. He enjoyed camping out with friends and taking many trips with Mom in their travel trailer all over the United States. He loved gardening, working on cars, motorcycles and wizard bikes, enjoyed photography and he enjoyed watching and feeding the birds.
Survivors are his daughter, Sheila Simmons and husband, Ned, of Sapulpa; son Joe Wilhelm and wife Patsy, of Grove; grandchildren Paul Haggerty, of Pace, Fla.; Chris Haggerty, of Tulsa; and Joseph Wilhelm, Jordan Wilhelm and Joshua Wilhelm, all of Grove; great-grandchildren Dalton and Jade Haggerty, both of Pace, Fla., and numerous nieces and nephews.
Curtis was preceded in death by one grandchild, Jason Wilhelm, and his beloved wife, Mary Elenora.
Funeral services have been set for 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, 2003 at Beaver Street Baptist Church in Jenks with the Rev. Bob Reid and the Rev. Mike Peter officiating.
Interment will follow in the Green Hills Memorial Gardens under the direction of Smith Funeral Home.
Bearers will be C.W. Wilhelm, T.J. Wilhelm, Dr. L.D. Wilhelm, Bill DeLaney, Lonnie Delaney and Odis Burris. Honorary bearers will be Joe Edward Stinchcomb, G.D. Carrick and the Adult I Men's Sunday school class.
Dad, you left us with many memories of your professional career, your military career and your personal life and your love for music, but the most precious thing you left us was your love for Christ, and you shared that love with us. You showed us the way, you grounded us with Christian love and raised us in a Christian home. Daddy, we'll miss you.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Gideons.
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