Charles “Lefty” Wilken, a pickup man at a record 10 National Finals Rodeos and 1999 inductee into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the rodeo arena, died Feb. 14 at La Posada-Mesilla Valley Hospice in Las Cruces, N.M. He was 87.
Known to everyone as Lefty, Wilken was born in March 19, 1920, in Valentine, Texas, to Karl and Kate Garlic Wilken, a family of pioneers who made their living with mules and wagons.
At a very early age, Wilken was riding horses and packing a rope. He was an outstanding track and field athlete and also excelled in basketball, where he mastered the art of shooting with either hand.
He joined the Cowboys' Turtle Association in 1942 and competed in tie-down roping and team roping as a header and heeler. Wilken also worked as a pickup man for Beutler Brothers Rodeo and was known for his horsemanship skills. His uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time earned him a reputation as one of the most dependable pickup men in the business.
Survivors include three sons, Don Wilken of Sierra Blanca, Texas, Carl Wilken of Hillsboro, N.M., and John Wilken of Salem; a daughter, Donna McArthur of Long Beach, California; a sister, Eva Mae Holleyman of Corona, N.M. Other survivors include seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Barbara Jean Wilken.
At Mr. Wilken's request, cremation will take place and a Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. March 22 in the Hillsboro (N.M.) Community Center.
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