Obituary for William “Bill” Wente

Ponca City Now - December 18, 2020 3:33 pm

William “Bill” Michael Wente

February 26, 1924 – December 18, 2020

William Michael Wente went to be with his Lord on December 18, 2020.

He was born in rural Sheridan County, Kansas on February 26, 1924 to his parents, Nellie Maude (Tedro) Wente and William Henry Wente.

As a teenage boy he was employed at times by local farmers and was registered for the draft and was drafted in September 1943. He was inducted into the United States Marine Corps Reserve and received boot training at Recruit Depot San Diego and advanced training in the San Diego area at Camp Elliott. He was deployed overseas to Hawaii in March 1944 and later engaged in battles at Saipan-Tinian and Okinawa and then at the end of the war was on duty in occupied Japan before being returned to USA in late 1945. He returned to civilian life January 23, 1946.

He was married to Sylvia Doris Brown on December 8, 1946 in Emporia, Kansas after a short engagement. He had met Sylvia and her family during his high school days at Morland. To this union was born David Allen Wente on November 12, 1947 and John Eldon Wente on August 2, 1949. He was employed by Cities Service Gas Company in 1950 and transferred to Wakita, Oklahoma in 1957 and then to Blackwell, Oklahoma in 1965. After retirement in 1979, he had several short term jobs around town and he and Sylvia helped the seniors nutrition program in Blackwell, delivering meals on wheels for a number of years. After a car accident in 1998 they discontinued doing that and then after Sylvia’s death in 2006 he started helping in that program again. He also volunteered at the Deer Creek Pantry on food truck days.

He married Geraldine Hopkins on October 10, 2008 and they lived in Blackwell, Oklahoma.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Sylvia; wife, Gerry; four sisters, Doris Evelyn, Minnie Hulda, Prudence Elizabeth “Beth”, and Mae Eunice; a son, David; and two step-sons.

He is survived by a son, John Wente and wife Linda of Yukon, Oklahoma; one stepson, Ronnie Hopkins and wife Priscilla of Vinita, Oklahoma; two step-daughters, Maxine Altebaumer and Janet Crowe, both of Blackwell, Oklahoma. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, and his church family.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at the Church of Christ with Lanny Jobe officiating. Burial will follow in Braman Cemetery.