Fred G. Wilkins

Rev. Fred G. Wilkins, 89, of Berrien Springs, passed away Sunday, October 12, at Caretel Inns of Royalton. A Celebration of Life Service will be held 10:30A.M., Thursday, October 16, at Peace Lutheran Church, 3590 Lincoln Ave., St. Joseph, with Rev. Paul Koehneke and Rev. Franz Brandenburg officiating. Friends may call from 6-8P.M. Tuesday, and 6-8P.M. Wednesday, at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Burial will be in Riverview cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Peace Lutheran Building Fund. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guestbook online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com Rev. Wilkins was born in Saginaw in 1914. Pastor Wilkins received his early training at Holy Cross Lutheran School in Saginaw, Mich. Upon completion of his studies at Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw and Concordia College in Fort Wayne, Ind., Pastor Wilkins enrolled at Concordia Theological Seminary, in St. Louis, MO. He graduated June 2, 1938. From February 1939 until June 1941 he was assistant Pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, Penn. In June of 1941, he was called as Pastor to St. John Lutheran Church in Poole, Neb. Also in June of 1941 he married Loretta Schmidt of Bay City, Mich. He remained in Neb. For 1 year and received a call to Trinity Lutheran Church in Merritt, Mich., remaining there for the next 5 years. Rev. Wilkins received another call to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Buchanan, and remained there for 32 years until he retired. Pastor Wilkins came out of retirement to be the calling Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Joseph and remained there for approximately 5 years. He then was called to start a congregation, Peace Lutheran in St. Joseph, where he remained as Pastor Emeritus until his death. Rev. Wilkins is survived by his wife Loretta M.(Schmidt) Wilkins; 3 children ? Peter (Christine) of Kalamazoo, Pamela (Bruce) Hanson of Mobile, Ala., Patricia (Kenneth) Wallquist of Albuquerque, NM; 6 grandchildren ? Kenneth (Amy) Wallquist, Lisa (Philip) Plischke, Rebecca (Aaron) Hanson-Spevacek, Jennifer (Michael) Montoya, Andrew Wilkins, Amy Wilkins; 5 great-grandchildren ?Jarod Wallquist, Avrey Montoya, Altaira Wallquist, Cullin Wallquist, Emily Plischke; 1 honorary daughter ? Alverda Rudlaff; 4 honorary grandchildren ? Pamela Dillon, Jennifer Adams, Marty Rudlaff, Michael Rudlaff; 6 honorary great-grandchildren ? Hunter Adams, Cassondra Rudlaff, BreAnne Rudlaff, Blake Rudlaff, Stephanie Dillan, Lynette Dillan.