WILKENS, Erich Bernhardt
1901 - 1978 (77 years)-
Name WILKENS, Erich Bernhardt - Erich and Martha were close friends with Willy Stolle and Willy's wife Anna. Erich and Willy met while in Germany and later found each other living around the corner in Manhattan, New York City.
Although there are no blood relations, the lives of Willy and Anna so closely intertwined with the Wilkens and later the families of Armand Charest and Martha (Charest) Wilkens, the Stolle's have a dedicated family tree in the Charest Family Genealogy site.
Born 29 Apr 1901 Blexen, Germany 
Gender Male Died 24 Oct 1978 Burlingham, New York Buried 28 Oct 1978 Pinelawn Memorial Park, Famingdale, New York - Plot Location
Block: 8-30 | Range: 5 | Mall: - | Plot: 12 | Grave: 3
Person ID I19 Charest Genealogy | Members of The Wilkens Family Last Modified 11 Nov 2022
Father WILKENS, Johann Hinrech Gerhard Relationship Birth Mother LOGEMANN, Anette Wilhelmine Hinrike Relationship Birth Family ID F41 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family REICHELT, Martha Alwine, b. 18 Jan 1894, Doberlug-Kirchhain, Germany , d. 6 Apr 1967 (Age 73 years) Married 4 Feb 1927 Manhatten, New York City, New York Type: Civil Wedding Children + 1. WILKENS, Martha Hertha, b. 20 Oct 1927, Manhatten, New York City, New York , d. 1 Mar 2019, McMinnville, Tennessee (Age 91 years)Photos 
Family Photo of Martha (Charest) WIlkens, Her Father and four children
Family Photo of Martha (Charest) Wilkens, Her Father and four children. The family was wishing farewell to Erich Wilkens (Mom's father), who was leaving for a visit to Germany within a few days. Location was Queens, New York, in front of the house Erich was living in at the time.
Names from top left to right;
Martha (Charest) Wilkens, Ronald Charest, Erich Wilkens, Melinda Charest,
Second row, left to right:
Jeffery Charest, Howard Charest
Photo taken Spring 1972Documents 
Marriage Certificate of Erich Wilkens and Martha Reichelt
Marriage Certificate of Erich Wilkens and Martha Reichelt. Married February 4, 1927, Manhatten, New York City, New YorkLast Modified 28 Feb 2016 Family ID F19 Group Sheet | Family Chart
- Erich and Martha were close friends with Willy Stolle and Willy's wife Anna. Erich and Willy met while in Germany and later found each other living around the corner in Manhattan, New York City.
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Event Map 
Buried - 28 Oct 1978 - Pinelawn Memorial Park, Famingdale, New York 
= Link to Google Earth
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Photos 
Martha and Erich Wilkens, and their daughter Martha. Taken about 1950
Martha and Eric Wilkens and their daughter Martha. Family photograph taken about 1950.
Erich Wilkens, 1976
This picture was taken of Erich about 1976, at his home in Burlingham, New York. At the time he was retired and kept busy running a "hobby farm," caring for a milk cow, several sheep and a ram, eighty chickens, and a small flock of ducks, along with two vegetable gardens.Family Photo of Martha (Charest) WIlkens, Her Father and four children
Family Photo of Martha (Charest) Wilkens, Her Father and four children. The family was wishing farewell to Erich Wilkens (Mom's father), who was leaving for a visit to Germany within a few days. Location was Queens, New York, in front of the house Erich was living in at the time.
Names from top left to right;
Martha (Charest) Wilkens, Ronald Charest, Erich Wilkens, Melinda Charest,
Second row, left to right:
Jeffery Charest, Howard Charest
Photo taken Spring 1972
Documents 
Birth Certificate of Erich Wilkens
Birth Certificate of Erich Wilkens. This was apparently a sworn recreation of his birth certificate issued by the City of New York 16 July 1946. Born 29 April 1901 in Blexen, Germany.
Death Certificate of Erich Wilkens
Death Certificate of Erich Wilkens. Erich died of an apparent heart attack while sitting in his recliner chair, in the main room of his cottage after dinner. He had cared for his farm animals and worked in his garden that day, and went into his cottage for dinner. He was found several hours later by a neighbor coming over for a visit.
Funeral Card for Eric Wilkens
Funeral Card for Eric Wilkens
Headstones 
Burial Marker for Martha and Erich Wilkens
Burial Marker for Martha and Erich Wilkens. This particular section of the cemetery did not allow raised headstones.
Histories 
History - Erich Bernhardt Wilkens
A history of the life of Erich Bernhardt Wilkens, written by his oldest grandson Ronald Charest. The source of information in this story is oral family stories.
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Notes - The birthplace of Erich Wilkens is spelled variously as:
1) Blexen
2) Blexersande
Both appear to be the same location in the district of the Lower Saxon town of Nordenham. - One of Erich Wilken's "defining characteristics" was not talking to people when he was angry. He could sometimes go weeks without talking to anybody, not just the person he was angry with. His grandchildren used to tease that "Opa (German title for Grandfather) was having spring fever."
This appeared to be a Wilkens family trait. At one point Erich and his brother Henry (who also lived in Queens, New York) had a fight. They went several years without talking to each other, even though their wives remained close and the families used to visit during the time the two brothers were not talking.
- The birthplace of Erich Wilkens is spelled variously as: