Martha Mae Wilkening

She was born on September 3, 1936, to Herschel and Lillian Stephens and was raised alongside fourteen brothers and sisters.

Martha is survived by her sister, Darlene Alligood of Sikeston, MO; two daughters, Renda Jean (Reagan) Baird of Sikeston, MO and Lisa Joy Larimore of Ypsilanti, MI; seven grandchildren, Levi (Jenna) Polk of Crestwood, MO, Jacob (KiDahn) Larimore of Ypsilanti, MI, Zachary (Jennifer) Larimore of Kennett Square, PA, Lauren (Kory) Kluesner of Oran, MO, Ray Larimore Kansas City, MO, Rebekah Boo Larimore Ypsilanti, MI, and Samuel Larimore Kansas City, MO; and five great-grandchildren, Jane Polk, Clay Polk, Emmalin Larimore, Theodore Larimore, and Ivy Ann Kluesner. She is also survived by countless nieces and nephews who will miss her dearly.

Martha completed school through the eighth grade in Canalou, Missouri, then stayed home to help with the homestead and work in the fields—learning early that life required grit, endurance, and faith. She was no stranger to hard work, including handpicking cotton. In a story she often shared with pride, anything she picked in a day over 300 pounds was hers to keep toward her wedding—work that helped her build the life she dreamed of.

On November 19, 1955, Martha married James “Jim” Alvin Wilkening. Together they shared 64 years of marriage, building a home rooted in devotion, perseverance, and love. As a farmer’s wife, Martha embodied capability and resourcefulness: she was thrifty, an excellent cook, cultivated a vegetable garden, drove trucks and tractors, laid irrigation pipe, and raised two daughters, Renda and Lisa, with steady hands and a generous heart. Jim and Martha cherished time with friends and family, “harvesting” memories that will live on in the stories told around tables for generations.

Martha was a faithful member of Concordia Lutheran Evangelical Church in Sikeston, Missouri, where she was active in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. Her faith wasn’t simply something she practiced on Sundays—it showed up in the way she lived: in service, in dependability, and in the quiet ways she cared for others without needing recognition.

Martha was known for her independent spirit and quick wit, but most of all for her loving, caring nature. Throughout her life she cared for siblings, parents, children, and grandchildren with a depth of love and service that set a standard—steady, enduring, and heartfelt. She leaves behind a family shaped by her strength, her humor, and her unwavering devotion.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:30 a.m. at Concordia Lutheran Church in Sikeston, MO with Rev. Matthew Berry, officiating.

A private interment will be held at a later date in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Sikeston, MO.

Pallbearers will be Jacob Larimore, John Bixler, Jiggs Moore, Levi Polk, Kory Kluesner and Randy Ackman.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.nunneleefuneralchapel.com for the Wilkening family.