Mabel E. Wilkinson was born Sept. 23, 1918 at the family farm 8 miles SW of Burke, SD, on the Ponca Creek. Her folks (Jack and Bertha Stuckers) moved to the farm from Nebraska earlier in that year. She was the youngest of 8 children and endured a lot of hard times during the depression and the dust storms of the thirties. She had to walk over a mile to school and said that some days she had lard sandwiches for lunch, which taught her to be very thrifty. Her family was very fun loving, socializing with the neighbors at barn dances, card games, and other get togethers just to visit.
Mabel loved life and liked to laugh and kid around. She also loved to go on vacations. She never drove but always managed to get where she needed to go with friends or her son, Larry. She visited both coasts, taking boat rides in the Atlantic and Pacific. She went to the top of Pikes Peak, the Grand Canyon, Sedona, AZ, the top of the Arch in St. Louis, toured Nashville, viewed Seattle from the Space Needle, and bought her favorite straw hat from a street vendor in Mexico. She was amazed at how large the Redwood trees were in California, toured Hoover Dam, and danced on Catalina Island. She toured the stars homes in Beverly Hills and visited the NBC studios in Burbank. She visited Branson, MO, seeing Johnny Cash, Mel Tillis, Kenny Rodgers, Andy Williams, Brenda Lee, and the Lennon Sisters to name a few. She got an autographed picture of the Lennon Sisters, shook hands with two of them and Jo Ann Castle. She talked about that a lot, along with many other things as she loved to visit.
She was also quite psychic. She won many prices at guessing games, once guessing within 4 pennies of how many were in a hat of an announcer on WNAX radio.
She married Arnold Wilkinson on March 25, 1946. They had one son, Larry, born in April of 1947. Arnold was killed in a car accident in May of 1949. Although Mabel only had an 8th grade education she insisted that Larry get a four year college degree which he did from the University of South Dakota.
Mabel loved animals. She always had cats and dogs on the farm and after moving to town would feed any stray that showed up at her door. (This could sometimes get her in a bit of trouble.)
Mabel was quick to tell you that she loved Burke. She lived most of her life in Burke or south of Burke on the farm. She lived a short time in Lake Andes, SD, when Arnold was working on the Fort Randall Dam, one year in Gregory, SD, and in Omaha, NE, working at the Kelloggs Corn Flake factory. Mabel and her brother Coon also spent one summer running a carnival stand. The last 20 months she has received loving care from John, Karla and staff at Colomes Rose Manor in Colome, SD.
Mabel passed away Sunday, January 24, 2010. She is survived by her son Larry and his wife, Vida, of Gillette, WY. A Grandson, Sean and his wife, Arliss, of Gillette, WY and Seans two daughters, Karissa and Michaela. Granddaughter, Dawn Wilkinson-Wilson and her husband, Alex, of Ventura, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Bertha Stuckers, brothers: Bus, Carl, John, George, Coon and Pete; and a sister Evelyn (Gus) Veskrna.
To sum up her life, Mabel was one of a kind, loved by many, and never met a person that she didnt want to get to know! Her motto was I just want to have fun!

Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 10:00 AM at Clausen Funeral Home in Burke. Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery, Burke. Visitation will be Thursday from 4 to 8 PM, with a 7 PM prayer service at the funeral home.

Memorials May Be Directed To The Community
Memorial Hospital in Burke, South Dakota