Wilfred Kirchner

Funeral Services for Wilfred (Bill) Kirchner, age 88 of Clarinda, Iowa who died Saturday, March 3, 2007 at Nebraska Methodist Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska were held Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. at the St. John Lutheran Church, Clarinda, Iowa.

Visitation with the family was held 7-8 p.m., Friday, March 9, 2007, at St. John Lutheran church. Interment was held in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, rural Clarinda, Iowa.

Memorials may be directed to the Clarinda Lutheran School, the Lutheran Hour Ministry or to the St. John Scholarship Fund For Full Time Church Workers. Memories can be shared with the family on our web site at www.ritchiefuneralhome.com under obituaries. Arrangements were entrusted to Ritchie Funeral Service, Clarinda, Iowa.

Wilfred William Kirchner was born June 4, 1918, in Webster County, Nebraska, John Kirchner and Clara (Bangert) Kirchner. He was baptized June 23, 1918 and confirmed May 24, 1931 at Zion Lutheran Church, all in Webster County, Nebraska. He received his crown of glory March 3, 2007 at Nebraska Methodist Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska.

Bill attended Zion Lutheran parochial school and graduated from Lawrence Nebraska High School in 1935. Following graduation Bill worked on farms in Columbus, Nebraska, Churdan and Page County, Iowa.

In 1941, he went to welding school in Omaha, then to California where he welded in the Kaiser Shipyards. Immediately after December 7, 1941, he received notice from Washington D.C. to report to Pearl Harbor Navy Yard where he remained for five years welding and being a welder leadingman repairing damaged ships during the WWII conflict with Japan.

Bill was proud of his service in the shipyard and felt that his job was very important to the war effort.

He became a charter member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Honolulu. On October 3, 1943, he married Marilyn Goecker at Immanuel Lutheran Church, rural Clarinda, Iowa. Three children were born to this union, Duane, Kathleen and Serle.

After WWII, Bill and Marilyn returned to Page County to farm.

Bill was a traditional farmer, also specializing in raising and feeding cattle and his work was his life. He was chairman of the Chickasaw Horse Association for several years. Bill became a 4-H leader for the Nebraska Township boys and was instrumental in the development of the hog facilities at the Fair Grounds.

He was swine superintendent for several years. While he was on the Fair Board, it was decided to have a 4-H sponsored carnival.

Bill served several years on the Page County Farmers Home Administration Board. He also served on the board at the beginning of the Wallace Foundation.

Bill was an active member of St. John Lutheran Church, Clarinda, Iowa, holding many offices. For two years, he was the treasurer for the Iowa District West Lutheran Layman League. He was instrumental in the church adopting a refugee family, the Duongs, from Vietnam, and has continued contact with them after they moved to California.

He was chairman of the committee that established the Clarinda Hospitality House which provides overnight lodging for prison and Academy families.

Bill and Marilyn spent many winter months going to California to visit their son Duane who had a parish there and then to Pharr, Texas, where Duane is located in McAllen, Texas.

Left to cherish Bill's memory are his wife Marilyn of Clarinda, Iowa; son, Pastor Duane and wife Peggy (Fries) Kirchner of McAllen, Texas; daughter, Kathleen and husband Robert Achterberg of Austin, Texas; son, Serle and Sharon (Fine) Kirchner of Clarinda, Iowa; eleven grandchildren, Erin (Kirchner) and Dan Dueck, Ethan and Jessica (Doffing) Kirchner, Brent Kirchner, Krista Achterberg, Mark Achterberg, Seth and Mandy (Peterson) Kirchner, Rachel (Kirchner) and Karl Miller, Sandy (Kirchner) and Corby Osten, Tara (Kirchner) and Ryan Wolff, Roxanne Kirchner and Debbie Kirchner; great grandchildren, Ryan and Abby Dueck. Also surviving are his sister, Eleanora Stork of Federal Way, Washington; brothers, Rev. Donald Kirchner and wife Margaret of Clinton, Illinois, Kenneth Kirchner and wife Margaret of Blue Hill, Nebraska; sister-in-law, Nevada Kirchner of Clarinda, Iowa and brother-in-law Karl Deines of Loveland, Colorado.

Preceding Bill in death were his parents; brothers, Walter Kirchner and Robert Kirchner; sisters, Lydia Rogness and Mildred Deines.

It is only by the grace of God that we receive his richest blessings.