Robert "Bob" D. Wilking

Dad loved his family, he liked helping people, and he looked forward to being with Jesus. On May 7, 2025, at the age of 89, Dad went to heaven.

Robert "Bob" Dean Wilking was born on April 26, 1936, in the hospital above the bank in Nicollet. He lived on the family farm in rural Nicollet until his high school graduation. Unable to enlist in the military due to an elbow injury, Dad attended Gustavus Adolphus College and Mankato State University. His life changed when he met Mom, a student at Bethany Lutheran College, on a blind date. They were married in Parkland, WA, on June 30, 1960. Dad worked at Master Millwork in Tacoma, when Carolyn was born. After a few years, he went to school for heavy equipment operating in Chicago before ultimately accepting a job as a banker in Nicollet, where he worked from 1963 until his retirement in 1999. Heidi and Amy were born in Mankato, and in 1974 we moved to the house they built in the woods south of Nicollet.

If there was a need in the community, Dad tried to fill it. He raised us to try everything and to get involved, and we learned by his example. After his younger brother Donald's death from leukemia, he became heavily involved with the American Cancer Society and Cancer Fun Sunday. He was also involved with Ducks Unlimited, Tri-County Fair, church fundraisers, Meals on Wheels, and many other organizations. Dad was an auction clerk for decades, first with C & C Auction House, then with Mike Miller. Our parents' love for antiques prompted them to sell antiques and collectibles at various shops and flea markets in the surrounding area. This led to the establishment of Five Star Promotions, which held antique shows in the old Madison East Mall and at the Nicollet County Fairgrounds.

A defining moment in Dad's life was when his granddaughter, Hannah, was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of four. Her stay at the Ronald McDonald House motivated him to become a lifelong collector of pop tabs, which he searched for in every receptacle he passed. In the spring of 2021, he was a featured story on KEYC, and has filled 31 ice cream pails with tabs to date. Dad's other hobbies included woodworking with his grandkids, driving his Ford tractor, fishing, traveling, coin collecting, and feeding the birds and deer in the woods. If anyone needed a wheelchair, crutches, or walker, dad gave them one. When a tornado leveled the area in 1998, he went from farm to farm with his chainsaw to help with cleanup. For years he found joy as "Santa" at the Mankato Mall and ISJ Hospital. His favorite thing in the world was attending all of his grandkids' activities. Dad had a servant heart until the end of his life... with a handful of pop tabs in his pocket.

Dad is survived by our Mom, Ingeborg, his wife of nearly 65 years; daughter, Carolyn (Alan) Lee of Mankato; grandchildren, Christopher (Sarah) Lee of Mankato and their two sons, Samantha Lee of Burnsville; daughter, Heidi (Dan) Pearse of Post Falls, ID; grandchildren, Greta Pearse and Ana Pearse both of Chicago, Derek Pearse of Butte, MT, and Elise Pearse of Post Falls, ID; daughter, Amy (Terry) Neils of North Mankato; grandchildren, Dylan (Alicia) Neils of Woodbury, Van Neils (fiancée Gracie) of Oakland, CA, Hannah (Joey) James of Mankato, Annie Neils of Corvallis, OR, and Ty Neils of North Mankato; sister-in-law, Kathy Wilking of rural Nicollet, and many nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Walter Wilking and his three younger brothers, Jerry, Donald, and Tom.

Dad always liked to have a good time, and we will gather to celebrate his life on Monday, May 19, 2025, at Hosanna Lutheran Church, Mankato, at 11:00 a.m. Visitation with family and friends will be at Northview – North Mankato Mortuary, on Sunday, May 18, 2025, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. and will continue one hour before the service at the church on Monday. This will be a celebration... please refrain from wearing black.

Memorials can be made to Hosanna Lutheran Church, the Ronald McDonald House, or the American Cancer Society. Or please simply round up at McDonalds or collect pop tabs and think of our dad.

The Link below is a complimentary service provided by

Mankato Area Funeral Homes.

Unforeseen technical, internet, facility, and/or acoustical circumstances may produce a diminished end product. Please note, if the live stream does not appear, we are attempting to record and publish the service for later viewing.