David D. (Sr.) Wolken

A good man took his last breath on November 17, 2022, just a few months shy of his 96th birthday. David D. Wolken was born to Louise (Sieber) and Dirk Albert, D. A. Wolken on January 16, 1927 at their farm home in rural Nemaha County. He was the fifth of seven children. He attended school at Dewey Country and Tecumseh Public Schools. Most of David’s education came from watching his dad and working in the family business alongside his brothers. David and his brothers owned and operated D.A. Wolken and Sons, a business started by their father in Tecumseh. He could solve any refrigeration problem and taught his kids there was only one way to do a job “the right way.” David could tell you about the good home cooking he enjoyed while working for customers, or about being called out in the middle of the night because someone’s furnace had broken, a farmer’s milk cooler was down, or any number of other mechanical breakdowns. Work was his way of life. David led a life of service to others, in business, community, and to fellow veterans.

For many years, he served the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, as a member of the funeral honors firing squad. David was officially recognized, as an Authorized Provider of Military Funeral Honors, by the United States Department of Defense, David served his country from 1950-1952 as part of the U.S. presence near Frankfurt, in occupied Germany.

After returning from his deployment, David married Bernice (Wenzl) and raised four children in the house he built from the ground up. On Sundays, he enjoyed taking his sons fishing, hunting and spending time with family and friends. After David’s 1st marriage ended, he reconnected with a high school sweetheart, Ruth (Starlin), They were married on April 23, 1983. With this union, David was blessed with a daughter, son-in-law and four grandchildren. David and Ruth enjoyed traveling, flying to Europe and Hawaii, taking cruises and bus trips. David and Ruth also became Husker Football season ticket holders.  They bought a camper and spent weekends enjoying mother nature and family. David always looked forward to annual fishing trips to the boundary waters in Minnesota with his brothers and extended family.

David was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Tecumseh. NE. He became a member of the First Baptist Church in Tecumseh following his marriage to Ruth. In 2018, David moved to Lincoln and lived at the Savannah Pines retirement community, where he enjoyed the many new friends he made there, the good food and the Nebraska tailgate parties. This past year he entered the Country House Memory Care facility where the staff loved him, and he prefaced most of his conversations with “I’ll tell you what…”

He is survived by his children Vickie & Roger Wenzl of Lincoln, David Jr. & Karen Wolken of Tecumseh, Jerry & Jeanne Wolken of Tecumseh, Lynn & Frank Buss of Gretna; Grandchildren Russ (Allison) Wenzl, Adam Wenzl (Anne), Kellen (Kelsey) Heideman, Kaci Wolken (Kaylor), Kale Wolken (Maggie), Matt (Tyra) Urkoski, Derek (Christina) Wolken, Brittany (Corey) Nepomuck, Beth Wolken, Jason (Melissa) Buss, Amy Buss, Carri (Chris) Dyer, Mandy (Tom) Barkhaus, and 19 great-grandchildren as well as sister Helen Silva and sisters-in-law Frances Wolken and Cherie Starlin. He was preceded in death by his wife Ruth, daughter Lori, his parents, and brothers Robert, Harold, Jack, Marion and Glen.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, December 1, 2022 at the First Baptist Church in Tecumseh, Nebraska with Pastor Hugh Giesbrecht officiating. The service will also be livestreamed on the Wherry Mortuary/Wherry Monument Facebook page.  Full military rites by the Army National Guard Funeral Honors Team and the Tecumseh VFW and American Legion Posts will follow the service.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with family greeting friends from 4-7 p.m., Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at the Wherry Mortuary in Tecumseh, Nebraska.

Memorials may go to the Avenue of Flags or the First Baptist Church.

Private family inurnment will be held at the Vesta Cemetery at a later date. 

Online condolences may be left @ www.wherrymortuary.com.

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