[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 61 (Thursday, April 8, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E354-E355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN RECOGNITION OF THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF EUNICE MAE WILKENS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 8, 2021

  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart on behalf 
of Missouri's Fifth Congressional District to honor and celebrate the 
life of Eunice Mae ``Judy'' ``Granny'' Wilkens. A lifetime resident of 
Concordia, Missouri, Eunice spent her 88 years on this Earth enriching 
her community through individual acts of service that filled her life 
with purpose and her neighbors' lives with blessings.
  Eunice understood that one need not relocate to a big city to have a 
big impact, and her remarkable story attests to this simple tenet of 
service. In a town tucked between Sweet Springs and Odessa in the 
western half of Missouri, Eunice was determined to improve her small 
corner of the world through entrepreneurship, activism, and 
volunteerism. As the owner of Ye Olde Lantern Motel, she worked 
tirelessly to demonstrate the beauty and grace of her beloved town to 
those traveling through. When her community was in need, she happily 
volunteered to pitch in for the greater good. For twenty-four years, 
she was a member of the Concordia Fire Protection District, serving 
thousands of people across a 100-square-mile area who called her for 
help when they needed it most. After years of seeing veterans return 
home from distant battlefields still bearing the scars of war, she 
volunteered to be a member of the local V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary at Post 
5649. Along with other dedicated volunteers, Eunice helped foster a 
community where veterans could share their wartime stories, bond over 
common experiences, honor the sacrifices of those who never made it 
home, and contribute to their community's future through initiatives 
like their annual Voice of Democracy scholarship competition.
  Eunice's involvement with the V.F.W. and the Concordia Fire 
Protection District spurred in her a strong sense of political purpose 
and propelled her to become active in the Lafayette County Democrat 
Club. When knocking on doors or making calls for local candidates, she 
undoubtedly carried with her the stories of those who had lost just 
about everything to an unexpected medical emergency, and those who had 
defended our country abroad but struggled to find peace back home. 
Perhaps closest to my heart was Eunice's work at St. Paul's Lutheran 
Church, where she volunteered as a braille worker. She knew that 
salvation and jubilation is not reserved only for the able-bodied. 
Through her generosity, Eunice helped those without sight envision the 
glory of God through her eyes.
  Today, as I reflect on Eunice's beautiful story--a story complete 
with family, faith, and love--a story in which she and her late 
husband, Hubie, traveled all over the world and to all fifty states--I 
cannot help but believe that Eunice, in her daily voyages of 
selflessness and service, carried with her the lessons from the Sermon 
on the Mount. In a Sermon described by some as the most important one 
ever given, Jesus preaches to a mass of followers while standing on a 
hilltop overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Jesus describes service to God 
not as strict adherence to rigid principles or unforgiving laws, but 
rather, as a lifetime dedicated to loving and serving God's children on 
Earth. At one point, Jesus exclaims that those who are compassionate, 
forgiving, merciful, sincere, and humble will serve as ``the light that 
gives light to the world.'' He then implores his disciples not to hide 
their light behind closed doors, but to let their light ``shine 
brightly before others, so that the commendable things you do will 
shine as light upon them.'' With every act of kindness to a stranger, 
service to a neighbor, and compassion for a fellow Concordian, Eunice 
shined brightly. Just like the oil lamps that lit up the pristine 
hilltop towns of Galilee when Jesus gave his Sermon all those centuries 
ago, the light of Eunice's life illuminated Concordia and will continue 
to shine upon the people who call the town home. There is no doubt that 
Concordia was blessed to have Eunice, and our community will be forever 
grateful for her presence in our lives.
  Today, my thoughts, and the thoughts of Missouri's Fifth 
Congressional District, are with Eunice's daughter, Nancy; her 
grandsons, Kyle and Erik; her five great-grandchildren; and her several 
nieces and nephews, as they come together to celebrate Eunice's 
lifetime of illuminating service. We can take comfort today in our 
belief that she joins Hubie in perhaps the one place they never visited 
in their travels together. Madame Speaker, please join me in honoring 
Eunice's unique life and the everlasting impression that it has left on 
the town she so greatly impacted. Please also join me in offering 
heartfelt condolences to her family and dear friends. Madam Speaker, as 
we go forth into an uncertain future, let us learn from Eunice's 
example and serve as shining lights in our own communities so that we 
may deliver to those whom we serve the way Eunice served those whom she 
loved.

[[Page E355]]

  

                          ____________________