Mildred Walker Wilkinson

Mildred Wilkinson


(91 years, 7 months, 27 days or 33,479 days)

Born: May 12, 1923 in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Passed: January 7, 2015 in Sierra Madre, California

It can be said that life is similar to a bus ride. The journey begins when we board the bus. As the bus moves along, we meet people along our way of which some are strangers, some friends, and some strangers yet to be friends. There are stops at intervals and people board in, and others disembark. Some of these people make their presence felt, leave an impact through their grace and beauty on us fellow passengers, while others you hardly notice were ever there.

Mildred almost missed the bus. When she was born they thought that she was a stillborn child; until the midwife decided to spank her as hard as she could. Only then, according to her late brother, Albert, and sister, Roberta , did she begin to cry. That decision by the midwife started Mildred's long ride on the bus; her ride was longer than her parents and all of her 10 siblings.

Being the youngest child of William Walker, Sr. (1880 – 1963) and Evelyn (nee Mc Koewn, 1879 - 1944) of 11 children, with 22 years between her and her oldest sister, she became an aunt relatively quickly. In many ways, her older siblings became her second (or third) father or mother and her nieces and nephews were more like siblings with whom to play. Her father, William, was a shoemaker, known by his peers as "the King of Shoemaking" for he had been commissioned to make shoes for many of the Crown heads of Europe, had a very large family to support on a shoemaker's wages. Back in early years of the 20th century, it was custom in Belfast for unmarried children to remain with their parents and for married children to frequent their parent's home. As such, there was always a large family presence and it was a family that liked to sing. This love for singing carried all through her life, even to the end. Her family always had at least one dog, and her love for animals started at a very young age.

The largest shipyard in the world when she was a teenager was in Belfast. The H.M.M.S Titanic and her sister ships were built there as well as many of the Royal Navy's ships for the war effort during the Second World War. At one point during the war, she and her sister, Roberta, were pushed aside as they tried to enter a bomb shelter during an air raid. With no more room in the shelter, they ran to another one. After the raid, the family learned that the shelter they were trying to get into had a bomb land directly upon it -- killing all who were inside. The individual who pushed her and her sister aside to get into the shelter before them kept Mildred's ride on bus well into the twenty-first century.

In Belfast, after the war and long into the 1950's, dances were held every weekend. At one of these dances, in 1950, a young man came up and put a donut on her finger saying that he had just met his future wife. That young man, Hugh J. Wilkinson (1918 – 1997), would later become father to two sons: Paul and Barry (1962 – 2011). In 1954 they were to be married in Belfast before they immigrated to the United States. But, because of immigration quotas in place at the time, they had to immigrate as single individuals; with each being allowed to enter the United States with only $100 a piece. They, with Mildred's sister Roberta, immigrated to the United States to live with their brother Albert in Eagle Rock, California. Albert had immigrated to the United States in the late 1940's, and they all remained residents of Eagle Rock for the rest of their lives.

Their wedding on July 1, 1955 occurred in the Wee Kirk of the Heather Church in Forest Lawn, Glendale. It was the only one they could afford at the time, as in the first job Hugh had was with Forest Lawn. In Belfast he was a chiropodist, but the podiatry board at that time did not recognize the British degree of chiropodist. Moving to new country meant starting all over again for both of them; something that they had already done in Belfast after the war.

In 1958 their first son, Paul, was born, followed in 1962 by his brother Barry. Growing up with parents significantly older than their peers (Mildred was 35 and Hugh was 40 when Paul was born, and 39 and 44 when Barry was born) meant that, sometimes, people thought Mildred was their grandmother. When she was younger, she had jet-black hair, but started greying at a young age, so by the time her sons were in school, the grey hair was showing through the jet-black hair. It could be said that two boys could do that to a mother, but it is doubtful that they did as both of her sons started greying at an early age too.

Mildred was strict with her sons, and instilled within them a strong sense of loyalty, faith, dedication, honesty, honor and integrity. Morality and ethics were more important than being "politically correct." Yet, she was also that mom on the block where all of the neighborhood kids loved to come and hang out. There were always a group of kids around the house when her boys were growing up, and with her husband, she supported all of the endeavors that her sons undertook. Doing this meant many sacrifices, and for many years she made clothes for the family in order to save money. You could say that the family was poor; but they were rich in other ways. By the time Hugh died in 1997, both of her sons had been put through college, the house was paid off, and Hugh and her were able to enjoy their lives together.

Mildred loved movies that we now call "family movies." Movies that espoused the morals and ethics that she had taught her sons. Examples would be: Follow Me, Boys, The Three Musketeers, the original Walking Tall, Bruce Almighty, The Lion King, and Forrest Gump. She also loved to listen to music: "big band," spiritual, or even Fernando from ABBA. If she knew the words to the song, she would often sing along with the music.

Mildred loved animals. When her boys were young, there were really three brothers: Paul, Barry, and Pepe. Pepe was a miniature poodle, but you couldn't tell him that. He thought that he was one of the family. He and Mildred were inseparable, as were her later dogs Lady, a long hair Chihuahua, and Dolly, a Japanese Chin. All three protected her too; Lady once held 6 firemen at bay, Pepe snapped at Hugh when she had her first stroke, and Dolly, like Lady, kept firemen at bay when Paul called for an ambulance.

Besides instilling in her sons what has been mentioned before, Hugh and Mildred instilled in them that the two boys were Americans first, British second, and Irish third. This is probably why Barry became an Air Force pilot and Paul has led a career in public service. Her grandchildren, Brandy, Seth, and Luke, have also inherited this for the two grandsons are Air Force pilots (flying the same aircraft as their late father) and her granddaughter is heavily involved in her community.

At one point, Mildred's journey on the bus of life caused her to move into the British Home in Sierra Madre. This is mentioned because it is believed that with their excellent care they allowed Mildred to continue her journey for a longer period of time. The family cannot express their gratitude enough for this gift; to not only to Mildred, but to the entire family. Of course, one thing that members of the staff told her eldest son Paul was that she could remember the words for many, many songs and would sing virtually every day to them.

As like everyone else, at one point in time everyone must depart this bus for another. She has now transferred to another bus that is heading over the horizon towards a new, brighter, light. Her journey spanned from the early years of the Twentieth Century into the early years of the Twenty-first Century. What we now call commonplace would have been complete science fiction the year that she was born. She has seen men land on the moon, great advances in medical care, great advances in telecommunications, and, unfortunately, many wars. She lived to see the birth of her grandchildren, both of her sons lead successful careers, and all of her grandchildren earn their college degrees.

It has been said that each life has a purpose. In the Bible, many individuals were born so that others could be born. From the beginning of her ride on the bus of life, through the Second World War, and onwards there were many, many times at which Mildred's departure could have occurred. But, for some reason, it did not until so very recently. Her impact that she had to this world on this journey will, hopefully, continue though her surviving son, granddaughter and grandsons.

Survived by:

Paul J. Wilkinson, Ph.D. (Son)
Brandy Peterson and MSG Ryan Peterson, USA (Granddaughter and husband)
2LT Seth Wilkinson, USAF (Grandson)
2LT Luke Wilkinson, USAF (Grandson)
E. Maureen Ferguson (Niece)
Sherry Wilkinson (Daughter-in-Law)

Preceded In Death:

Hugh Johnston Wilkinson (Husband, 1918 -1 997)
Barry Hugh Wilkinson (Son, former Captain, USAF, 1962 - 2011)
Evelyn (nee Walker) Patterson (Sister, 1901 - 1972)
James Walker (Brother, 1903 - 1967)
William Walker, Jr. (Brother, 1905 - 1973)
John Walker (Brother, 1907 - 1980's)
George Walker (Brother, 1909 -1980's)
Anne (nee Walker) Russell (Sister, 1911 - 1985)
Ernest Walker (Brother, 1914 - 1980's)
Albert Walker (Brother, 1916 - 1997)
Doreen Walker (Sister, 1918 - 1942)
Roberta Walker (Sister, 1920 - 1997)

Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn, Glendale, California

Pallbearers:
MGySGT Mana S. Elliott, USMC
Duane Cotton
Timothy Bragg, Sr.
Gregory B. Newell
Suprio Banerjee
Daniel G. Raddon