While still in the air this past Saturday, we received news from Kenric’s sister that Grandpa had passed away. We were devastated. The next few days in Kenric’s grandparents’ home alternated between grief, love, tears, gratitude, longing, laughter, and lots of planning for the funeral that had been scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving (yesterday) at Redlands First United Methodist Church Dike Chapel.

It was a very beautiful service and Grandma was very pleased with it. She wanted the best for her husband of 70 years. Kenric’s cousins (Andrew and Becky) read the scriptures and then, Becky played the piano while Andrew sang “He Hideth My Soul”. Kenric and his cousin, Bryan, delivered the eulogy. Below is Kenric’s portion. It does not even come close to describing the wonderful man that Grandpa was, and the great love between Grandpa and Grandma, but it’s our best effort. We love you, Grandpa.

Lynn L. Wilbur

My name is Kenric Erickson, the eldest grandson of Lynn Wilbur. Thank you for coming to celebrate my grandfather’s life. My grandfather was born on June 25th, 1925 to DeLos and Lucile Wilbur in Burbank, California. In 1934, their family moved to Oceanside, where he grew up enjoying life at the beach with his beloved dog, Pal. In 1942, due to the threat of invasion along the California coast, his parents moved inland to Redlands. For a while, he stayed in Oceanside with a friend’s family so that he could continue some of his high school classes. He then joined his parents in Redlands and completed his last high school course here at Redlands High School but received his diploma from Oceanside High School in 1943. Shortly thereafter, he joined the U.S. Navy.

US Navy

Most of his service time was spent aboard the aircraft carrier USS Sangamon in the South Pacific theater of WWII. While at sea in 1945, he learned that his mother had been killed in a car accident. Soon after, the USS Sangamon was badly damaged by kamikaze attacks and was taken out of action. With the war ending, he then spent the last nine months of his service aboard the newly-commissioned USS Midway which is now a museum in San Diego Bay. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946 and returned to Redlands.

Phone company

He quickly found a job, starting his forty-one-year working career with the local telephone company. First it was California Water and Telephone, then General Telephone which later became Verizon and is now Frontier. His duties ranged from driver, to lineman, to fax and teletype installer. With a territory that covered a large part of Southern California, he found a lot of joy and freedom in driving his company truck all through the mountains and deserts.

The nurse

Grandpa was introduced to the woman he was to marry in 1947 by Bob and Winnie Knight at a Valentine’s Day gathering between the young Methodist men and the young nurses from Redlands Community Hospital. The iconic paring of the World War II sailor and nurse has always been special to the two of them.

Family

On January 17, 1948 he married Frances Rundell in the old Dike Chapel of the Redlands Methodist Church. His parents and sister also had special connections with the old and new Dike Chapel. Together, my grandparents had three daughters – Mary Lu, Carolyn, and Dorothy. As a family, summer vacations were spent fishing and hiking in the mountains or driving to South Dakota to visit relatives. He particularly enjoyed both fishing and driving.

Memories

Most of my favorite memories of spending time with my grandfather are also hiking in the mountains and fishing on the lakes of Mammoth and Tahoe. I was fishing with him in 1989 when he caught an 18 ½-inch trout at Stampede Reservoir. He was so excited and proud he had the big fish mounted. The fish still hangs on the wall in their house. I don’t think we caught anything else that day.

Travel

He had a record of having visited forty-seven of the 50 states, missing Vermont and North and South Carolina. After retiring in 1988, he and my grandmother traveled extensively. We counted that together they visited at least 30 countries across five continents, bringing home many great memories and souvenirs. Their favorite trip memory was walking on the Great Wall of China. He visited about six additional countries while in the Navy.

Holidays

Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been especially wonderful celebrations at my grandparents’ house; full of love and laughter, where as much of the family as possible would come together here in Redlands. And, there was always plenty of good food.

Character

My grandfather was a very hardworking and responsible man. He was dutiful to his country, his church, his work, and his friends. Most of all, he was a loving and dependable husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, and great grandfather.

Grandparents

Married for 70 years to my grandmother, of whom his first impressions were “cute, good looking and fun to be with”, grandpa was a happy man. He always made sure their home was well-maintained, comfortable, and safe. My grandparents brought up their three daughters to be jovial, kind, and strong women. My cousins, sister, and I are forever thankful to our grandparents for our wonderful mothers and aunts.

Precedents

He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter (Dorothy Wheeler), his sister (Doris Wells Yarbrough), and his brother (Wesley Wilbur).

Survivors

Surviving him are his wife of 70 years, my grandmother, Frances, his daughters and sons-in-law (Mary Lu and Dennis Green, Carolyn and Elwyn Erickson), son-in-law (Robert Wheeler), his grandchildren (Andrew Green, Rebecca Carlson, Kristin Erickson, Bryan Wheeler, and myself), along with eight great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Grandpa

Grandpa was brave and adventuresome, dutiful and charitable, loving, and enjoyed a good laugh. He lived a long and happy life with the love of his life. His daughters and sons-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren all love him dearly.

The other day, in prayer, my grandmother thanked The Lord for “giving Lynn to me as my husband and making me so happy” and we are very thankful that he is our Grandpa.