Texas, USA
January 5, 2014
It is with sorrow we report that a former President and Board Member of the Texas Seed Trade Association has passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Warnken Family at this time.
Charles H. Warnken, Jr., age 86 years, died on January 2nd, 2015 in San Antonio, Texas. He was born on September 17th, 1928 in Poth, Texas
to Charles H. Warnken, Sr. and Ethel Barnard Warnken. He attended Blessed Sacrament School for six years and then Poth public schools, graduating from Poth High School in 1945. This was the end of his formal schooling but he continued learning the rest of his life. In school, he played and loved football, basketball, volleyball and tennis. He also earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.
On August 17, 1949 he married the love of his life, Annette Elaine (Lainie) Nieschwietz of Falls City, Texas. They built a home in Poth and started their family, which grew to include three sons and two daughters. Charles and the rest of the family were members of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Poth where Charles was a Third Degree Knight of Columbus, a member of the choir and an active parishioner until 1985, when he tired of the commute to work at Wilco Peanut Co. and made the move to Pleasanton, there joining St. Andrew Catholic Church.
Charles joined Wilson County Peanut Co., then located in La Vernia, Texas as the manager in 1958. In 1966 he acquired 50% of Wilson County Peanut Co., then located at Southton, Texas, in southeastern Bexar County. In the mid 1970's, Charles purchased the remainder of the company, renamed it Wilco Peanut Co., and moved the operations to a site near Pleasanton, where it remains today, still operated by the family. During his long career, Charles traveled to 25 countries in Europe, Africa, South America and North America. He succeeded in selling peanuts and peanut seed in 30 countries.
Charles also took civic responsibilities seriously, having served as first a volunteer fireman and then later the Chief of the Poth Volunteer Fire Department. He served as Secretary of the Poth Consolidated School Board during the mid-1950's, as a Director of the Falls City National Bank in the mid to late 1960's, as a Director and President of the Southwestern Peanut Sheller's Association and as a Director and later President of the Texas Seed Trade Association. In 1988 he was selected Business Person of the Year by the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce.
Charles and his wife, Elaine founded and funded The Charles H. Warnken, Sr. Memorial Scholarship Fund to provide financial assistance to two students each year from the graduating class at Poth High School. They also founded and funded the Charles and Elaine Warnken Charitable Trust, to make contributions to selected Christian charities and Churches.
Charles loved bird hunting, salt water fishing and boating, in no particular order. He also was a sports fan, particularly of Poth Pirate and Pirette athletics.
He leaves behind his wife Elaine, sons Byron and his wife, Dea; Kurt and his wife, Ivanna; James and his wife Patsy; daughters Lisa and her husband, Dr. John Burnside; and Ursula and her husband, Randal Wauters; also, 12 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; a sister, Carol Warnken Jung; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles H. Warnken, Sr., and Ethel Barnard Warnken, and sisters Catherine Warnken Bertrand and Crystal Warnken Short.
Visitation will be held Monday, January 5, 2015, at Hurley Funeral Home, 118 W. Oaklawn Road, Pleasanton from 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM. Charles will then be transported to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 488 W. Westmeyer Street, Poth, for visitation from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with a rosary to be recited at 7:30 PM. Funeral mass will be celebrated Tuesday, January 6, 2015, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, in Poth, at 10:30 AM. Interment will follow in Blessed Sacrament Cemetery, in Poth. Anyone wishing to sign the guestbook, share memories or issue condolences for the family may do so at www.hurleyfuneralhome.com
The family requests that anyone wishing to honor Charles by making a memorial donation do so to:
The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
Poth, Texas 78147
or
the individuals favorite organization supporting research on Alzheimer's or dementia.
Please keep the Warnken Family in your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.
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