Burton "Burt" Carl Wikgren

Burt grew up in Chicago, but always had a love for farming. He and his brother had a great education since their mom was a teacher and their dad was a professor. He and his brother would travel to their grandparents’ farm in the summer where they got to work with chickens, cows and crops. He loved that rural lifestyle and cherished his memories and experience gained there.

Burt attended the University of Chicago then transferred to the University of Illinois because of their agriculture program, which is where he received his Bachelor of Science degree. Soon after graduating in 1954 he met and married Martha Morin in Kankakee where they lived and had their first two children. They later moved to Belleville and had their third child. His wife Martha passed away in 2005 after 50 years of marriage.

Burt began his career with the Social Security Administration and because of his advancements was transferred to Wisconsin where he worked various positions, only to be sent back to Kankakee where he continued his career in the Joliet office. Then he transferred to the East St. Louis office as operations manager, was later promoted as manager of the Effingham office and then finished his career in the Alton office as assistant director. He helped open several of the Illinois offices and retired from the Social Security Administration in 1985. However, retirement didn’t stop him; he soon accepted a position to direct the Supplemental Social Security program and its inception in East St. Louis and Washington Park. He then started a program with the HUD Association to help keep seniors in their homes. The program not only helped the seniors, but also saved money for the state and federal government, which he was very proud of. He went on to do a work training program which taught young people carpentry, plumbing and general repair skills to help create livable conditions for seniors’ homes.

Burt did take time for hobbies and joined the Optimist club in 1973. He was immediately given the task of handling new memberships. He was a member of the Northwest club and as it grew, more clubs were created. Burt helped build over 100 clubs in the U.S. and even worked for Optimist International whom he traveled with to build more clubs. Burt proposed to and married his wife Marilyn Newell in 2006, who served with him in the Optimists. Burt was a currently a member of the Freeburg club, which he built 20 years ago. He was recently featured in the local newspaper for his accomplishments and was considered to be the “quintessential Optimist.”

Burt was also a member of the Turkey Hill Grange, where he enjoyed many duties. He served as Vice President and chaired the scholarship fund. He enjoyed all of the opportunities provided by the Grange, especially serving coffee at the dinners where he was able to socialize and tell jokes.

Burt also served as the market master of the Belleville old town market and worked with the vendors every Saturday for several years until 2019. He very much enjoyed working with Alecia from the Chamber of Commerce.

Burt and Marilyn both sang with the Metro East Community Chorale and the Millstadt Community Choir. They also both belonged to NARFE and enjoyed fellowship with all the federal retirees. Burt loved trips to Gary’s restaurant in Freeburg where he was affectionately known as the “Pancake Man.”

Burt will always be well known for his love of God, the earth and the animals. He was very proud of the students in his Sunday school class; he enjoyed teaching them lessons and making them laugh. The young people enjoyed his class so much they often came up to him in public to recite the scripture he taught them, usually Psalm 19:14. He always said, “God has a sense of humor, look at all of us he made.” Burt’s love for God was seen in his garden, his flowers, the love of his kitties throughout the years and the love for his current kitty, Reese Sue. Burt would want everyone to try to love each other as God has loved and blessed us in so many ways.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Allen Wikgren and Theodora “Dora” (nee Ingeborg Johnson) Wikgren; son, Jeffrey Wikgren; daughter, Julie Kafarski; first wife, Martha (nee Morin) Wikgren; brother, Donald (Ellen) Wikgren; step-son, Scott Newell.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 15 years, Marilyn (nee King) Wikgren; daughter, Janice Wikgren; step-sons, Larry (Tammy) Newell II and Steve (Chrissy) Newell; stepdaughter, Angela (Brent) Hammond; daughter-in-law, Patricia Wikgren; son-in-law, Bruce Kafarski; granddaughters, Jennifer Breidenbach, Alyssa Kafarski and Abigail Kafarski; grandsons, Jeremy (Krista) Wikgren and Matthew (Brooke) Wikgren; step-grandchildren, Ashley (Andrew) Kuiper, Kylie Jones, John (Jocelyn) Accola, Jeremiah (Lauren) Accola, Stevie Newell, Will Wait, Chelsey (Wesley) Newell Huff and Mazie Newell ; great-grandchildren, Camdyn Wikgren, Morgan Wikgren, Jaida Wikgren, Jett Wikgren, Hadley Wikgren and Jack Wikgren; step-great-grandchildren, Phoenix Huff, Luna Huff, Jonathan Kuiper, Kaleb Newell, Jayda Newell, Annastasia Monroe and Lucas Monroe; cousin (who was like a sister), Carolyn Lundstrom; former brother-in-law, William Morin; cousins, Claire Schaefer and Dr. Edwin Tankersley; friends (who were like brothers), Robert Stark and Joe Erlinger. He will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him.

Memorials in Burt’s honor may be made to Junior Optimist International or Emmanuel Church of the Nazarene, Belleville, IL.

Visitation will be from 4 PM to 8 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2022 4 PM to 8 PM at Valhalla Gaerdner Holten Funeral Home, Belleville, IL. An additional hour of visitation will take place before the funeral service on Friday, August 19, 2022 at 11 AM.

Funeral will be at 12 PM on Friday, August 19, 2022 at Valhalla Gaerdner Holten Funeral Home, Belleville, IL with Pastor Russell Brewer officiating. Interment to follow at Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville, IL.