Donnie Verne Wilson

A Celebration of Life Service will be held in Ocqueoc in July for Donnie Verne Wilson, 65, of Portales, New Mexico.  Mr. Wilson made arrangements for his remains to be donated to the Texas Tech Medical School in Lubbock, Texas to facilitate research on scleroderma, the disease he had battled for more than 15 years, and that finally caused his death.

The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to the Interim Hospice staff, Michelle, Pam, Mallory and Amber for their compassion and care for Donnie during his last days.

Those who wish to make memorial contributions may send them to the Scleroderma Foundation, 300 Rosewood Dr., Ste. 105, Danvers, MA 01923, or for your convenience, donations can be made by credit card at wheelermortuary.net.

Donnie Verne Wilson was born January 17, 1952 to Vernon and Madonna Wilson in Jackson, Kentucky, and passed from this life on earth to be with his heavenly Father at his home early Sunday morning, May 7, 2017.  He was surrounded by his loving family and the heavenly angels.

Mr. Wilson graduated from Walled Lake Western High School in Michigan in 1970.  He married his high school sweetheart, Kathleen Pelto, April 3, 1971.  Don served in the United States Air Force from December 1971 until he retired as a SMsgt in 1992.  He was serving at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico at the time.

Don and Kathy moved to Onaway following his retirement.  He loved hunting, fishing on Lake Huron and playing golf.  In addition, he remodeled a 100-year-old farmhouse on the farm they bought in Ocqueoc.  He and his wife moved to Portales in September 2014 to be near their daughter.

He i

s survived by his wife, Kathy; a daughter and son-in-law, Windy and Seth Martin of Clovis; a son and daughter-in-law, Donnie and Jorene Wilson of Cypress, Texas; six grandchildren, Henry, Lily and Gemma Martin, Nicky Gollihugh, and Logan and Lukas Wilson; four brothers, Daniel (Janice) Wilson of Michigan, Vernon (Donna) Wilson of Virginia, Charles (Melissa) Wilson of South Carolina and Eugene (Esther) Wilson of Ohio; and four sisters, Evelyn (Dave) Jennings of New York, Patricia Rust of Michigan, Charlotte McEvoy of North Carolina and Paulett (Greg) Albright of New York.  He was preceded in death by his parents.

Arrangements are under the direction of Wheeler Mortuary of Portales. 575-356-4455,wheelermortuary.net.