Edward Wick

Edward A. Wick, age 93 of St. Peter, formerly of Le Center, died October 28, 2015. Visitation with the family will be on Monday, November 9, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Le Center Funeral Home in Le Center. Funeral service will also be held on Monday, November 9 at 11 a.m. also at the Le Center Funeral Home in Le Center with Rev. Amy Wick Moore officiating. Burial will be at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Le Center.

Edward was born February 16, 1922 to Ralph A. and Mildred (Miller) Wick on a farm outside of Walnut Grove. In September of 1926 he moved to Le Center with his family. He attended school in Le Center and graduated in the spring of 1940. A year later, on August 20, 1941 he joined the Army at Fort Snelling. After going through flight training he was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps on February 6, 1943. He was assigned and trained to be a B-17 bomber pilot. He and his crew trained at a number of bases in the United States and then he flew across the Atlantic on June 21, 1943 with their B-17 "The Wolf Pack". He was in the 562 Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group. On his ninth raid, September 6, 1943, he was shot down over Germany and became a prisoner of war. Stalag Luft III became his home for the next 17 months. January 28, 1945 was the start of a forced march and train ride to Moosburg, Germany where the prisoners were liberated by the Third Army on April 29, 1945. Twenty months of prison life were over.

Edward returned to civilian life and started college. He married Helen Widmark from Ivanhoe, MN. on November 25, 1947 in Hendricks, MN. After graduating from college he taught one year and then was called back into the service during the Korean War. He decided to stay in the military and make it a career. He was stationed in many states plus Morocco and Guam. He served 27 years in the military and retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel. After retirement, he was the Mayor of Le Center from 1970 to 1976 and also owned a sporting goods store in Le Center.

He is survived by his children, Susan Wick of Waterville, Scot (Fumiko) Wick of IN., Bonnie (Scott) Hrdlichka of Maple Grove and Gary (Brenda) Wick of Le Center, and Robert Wick of St. Peter; son-in-law, Tom Burke of IL; 9 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and 2 step-grandchildren; brothers, Bruce and Larry; and sisters, Nona and Marilyn.

Ed was preceded in death by wife, Helen Widmark; daughter, Barbara Burke; sister, Nadine and her husband Norman Findahl and brother, Wayne.

Military honors will be provided by the Le Center area Honor Guard.

Arrangements are with the Le Center Funeral Home in Le Center. 507-357-6116. www.lecenterfuneralhome.com.