Wilma M. Lankiewicz

Wilma was born May 10th 1924 the daughter of the late Oscar and Matilda (Beier) Seifert. Wilma had 2 sisters, Ina Blohm (deceased) and Norma Hillerby (deceased) and a brother Runo Seifert (deceased). Wilma’s husband George A. Duerr gave his life in the Pacific theatre during WW2. They had two children, Ronald (deceased) and Nancy. Wilma later married Stanley Lankiewicz (deceased) and had sons Richard (deceased) and Robert (deceased). She is survived by her daughter Nancy (Duerr) Slater/Rusnak of Erie PA, grandchildren James A Slater and wife Kelly of Vancouver WA, Audie C Slater of Covington LA, Barbara (Slater) King and husband Mark E King of Huntersville, NC. Wilma has 4 great grandchildren, Alex and Emily King, Lauren and Sarah Slater (daughters of Jim and Kelly). Wilma is also survived by her sisters in law Marlyn Heinitz of Scappoose OR, Doris Boettcher of Auburn CA , Ruth Duerr of Sacramento CA, and her brother in law Robert Duerr and wife Kay of Loomis CA. Wilma has numerous nieces and nephews.

Wilma was an accomplished musician who played violin and piano, and has played with such violinists as Yascha Heifetz. Wilma won the CA Youth Violin Championship at 14 years of age. While in high school she was commissioned to play piano three times a week at the Sacramento USO during WW2. She was a studied musician and had the gift to play by ear, thus service members would gather around the piano and request favorites. She was still accomplished enough to do this with her great granddaughters and daughter at her 90th birthday, and the residents at Atria El Camino. Throughout the years she played for numerous choral groups in the Sacramento area

One of her greatest legacies was her faithfulness as a secretary to Rev Morris Watkins, who founded Lutheran Bible Translators, originally called “Messengers for Christ”. The Ministry had humble beginnings and has since grown to be one of the most successful bible translation ministries in the world, now celebrating its 50th year. Memorials may be made in the name of Wilma Lankiewicz to: The Lutheran Bible Translators, PO Box 2050, Aurora IL 60507-2050