Wesley Lawrence Wildermuth

Wesley Lawrence Wildermuth was born December 24, 1923, in Kingsburg, California, to Herman and Charlotte, immigrants from German heritage.  They both came looking for better lives in this new country.  Wes was the youngest of five children.  Their father was a confectionary chef which motivated him to establish his own bakery business in Kingsburg, California.  Each of the five children were a part of the family bakery business giving them a great taste for quality baked goods.

Wes' favorite class in high school was band and orchestra.  He played the saxophone in the band throughout grade and high school.  Along with several other fellows they organized a jazz band.  They were asked to play at the pep rallies and other school activites.  They played the  Beer Barrel Polka at one of these occasions which caused the whole student body to cheer wildly.  After the assembly the principal called the leader of the jazz back to his office, scolded him for playing that kind of music and told him that they could not play for any high school functions again.  That was the end of the jazz band.

Following Wes' graduation from Kingsburg Union High School in the spring of 1941 he began his college life at Cascade College in Portland, Oregon graduating in the spring of 1945.  He and Margaret were married on September 8, 1944.  During his time in college he was also pastoring at some churches in Portland.  As he entered seminary at Western Evangelical Seminary following college he and Margaret moved into the parsonage and became the pastor at Happy Valley Evangelical Church.  It was there that David and Charlene were born.

Wes felt the call of God to be a missionary and China was the location he felt God wanted him to go.  By the time Wes graduated from seminary in the spring of 1951, China was no longer open for missionaries so he applied with OMS (Oriental Missionary Society) to go to Japan.  They were accepted and raised the needed funds and the family sailed out of Portland on a freight ship to Japan on December 15, 1951.  The trip across the Pacific was very unpleasant for the entire family but especially for Margaret as she found out later that she was pregnant and would give birth to their second son, Ron, in Japan, August 24, 1952.

1951 to 1968 were lived in Japan working with OMS and the Japan Holiness Church.  Wes taught in the seminary for Japanese students training to be ministers.  Along with teaching he was the OMS field director.  In 1968 the Wildermuths were appointed to the OMS Headquarters in Indiana.  Wes was  asked by Dr. Wesley Duewel to join him as Assistant to the President.  During that time Wes lead the Personnel Office for OMS.

In 1975, the new OMS field in Indonesia was starting a seminary and were in need of seminary teachers.  Wes and Margaret were appointed to Indonesia and were involved in the new seminary as well as the field office.  And in 1982 another invitation was given to open new work for OMS in the Philippines.  They arrived in Manila in September of 1983 where a team of missionaries later joined them.  The Wildermuths officially retired from active service in OMS on January 1, 1989.

At this time Wes and Margaret had a house built for them, according to their dreams and settled in Gresham, Oregon.  Margaret died on August 18, 2008.  Wes continued to stay in their home until January, 2011.  He then chose to move to Clackamas Springs Retirement Care on Webster Road, 5 miles away from David's house.  This was most convenient being closer to family.

In July 2015, Wes needed more care and moved to Elite Care at Oatfield Estates in Milwaukie, Oregon.  November 3rd he fell in his apartment, fracturing his hip which needed surgery.  After a short hospital and then some days in a rehab center he returned to his Oatfield apartment.  It was on Thanksgiving Day that he breathed his last breath on earth and he has been 'promoted' to his eternal home with Jesus.  He was able to sing the ultimate Thanksgiving song and be released from earthly discomfort.  Welcome home Wes!  We know God welcomes you home!