Royal E. Wilcox

Royal Edwin Wilcox, age 91 of Sunrise died on July 27, 2002 at the Fairview Lakes Hospital in Wyoming.
Funeral services were held on Wednesday, July 31, at the Sunrise Bible Church in Sunrise with Rev. James Rockensock officiating. Music was provided by Charlotte Wilcox and Melba Rockensock. Interment was in the Sunrise Cemetery. Arrangements by Grandstrand Funeral Home in North Branch.
Royal was born on the family farm in Sunrise on April 29, 1911. He was the eldest of nine children born to John C. Wilcox and his wife Selma (Larson). Royal attended school in Sunrise and North Branch. In 1933 Royal joined the CCCís. He was stationed 18 miles N.E. of Ely on Lake Jeanette. There he was trained as a cook. He used that experience the rest of his life. Tow of the other cooks in his company were from Sunrise also. Clarence Johnson and his cousin Fred Wilcox. He was united in marriage to Doris Lantz, also of Sunrise on No. 18, 1933.
After returning home from the CCCís, he went to work at the Sunrise Mercantile owned by his mother-in-law Mabel Lantz. He worked with the machinery and hardware Dept. He installed the water systems and drinking cups in many of the area farms. Most of the machinery came crated, and he would take them out to the farms and set them up. He also repaired machinery. The store burned down in 1944 and he then went to work for the State Highway Dept. In 1949 he was a laborer, then truck driver and then he started on the grader which he did until his retirement in 1976. After retiring from the county he worked part time summers for Hals Brothers grading roads.
Royal enjoyed building bird houses and bird feeders in the winters. In the summers he planted a large garden and he and Doris froze and canned much of the produce. Royal was on the Sunrise Town Board for almost 58 years. He worked very hard to make Sunrise Township one of the most efficient in the county. For his efforts Royal was rewarded by the town board when they voted to rename the Sunrise Community Center the Royal Wilcox Community Center. He was both embarrassed and proud. His only regret was that his wife Doris was not alive to share the honor with him.
Royal was preceded in death by his parents, wife Doris, four brothers Vernon, John Jr., Harold and Ronnie.
Royal is survived by two sons Marcum and wife Arlene,
Rodney and wife Betty both of Pillager, Minn.; one daughter Marlys Lundeen and husband Gerald of Center City, Minn.; eight grandchildren; 19 great- grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; three brothers Rudy, Lee and Glen; one sister Bernice Lantz; many other relatives and friends.

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