Frank Wilker

## Introduction

Frank L. Wilker was born November 10, 1865, to Henry and Lorraine Wilker, near Valentine.

A long time resident and the current Sheriff of the New Hanover County Sheriffs Office, Frank currently resides in New Hanover but can be seen visiting Rhodes and the surrounding areas of East Odessa.

## Biography

From a young age, Frank grew up appreciating hard work and what you earn from it. His family didn't have much growing up and from what he can remember as a young boy, they barely made it through each winter. His father was a hunter and made most of the money for the family by hunting a selling game. Frank learned from his father how to track and hunt game. He first started out with small game such as rabbits, squirrels, and birds. As he got older and more experienced he worked his way up to larger game such as deer, coyotes, and bears. His father taught him to never waste or kill without the intention to eat or use the animal for some reason. Whenever Frank see's an animal carcass rotting and there is some meat or pelt left behind, it disgusts him.

Around the time Frank was 16 years old, he was out hunting in the Grizzlies East Mountains when his father was attacked by a bear. Frank was able to help his father in fending off the bear by shooting a few rounds at it. He then attempted to rush his father back to the doctor in Valentines but his efforts where proven to not be enough when his father succumbed to his injuries on the way back to town.

With his father gone, Frank took the mantle in providing for his mother and younger sister, Claire. He spent the rest of his teenage years and into his 20's constantly out hunting in the greater parts of New Hanover to provide both food and money for his family.

In February of 1891, his mother became ill with a fever and passed away in the family cabin. Shortly after his mother's death, Frank's sister left the family cabin in New Hanover and moved to Kentucky, leaving Frank by himself without any living family near by.

Frank got along still continuing to hunt game all over New Hanover and selling meat and pelts to make a living. Every year or so he would make the trip to visit his sister and her husband she had found up there in Kentucky.

## Lawman

In 1899, Frank started working for the Valentine Sheriff's Office as a Deputy under Sheriff Jackson Deakins. He worked alongside Calvin Booth, Rhett White, and Doyle Benson. He didn't know much at the time about the inner workings of a law office and what the job entailed but after seeing a major increase in crime and theft happening to the town and folks he knew his entire life, he knew he wanted to help in any way he could. Frank learned how to handle himself and helping folks in the capacity of a lawman by the help of his fellow deputies. He was eventually promoted to Sr. Deputy by Sheriff Booth.

After a few months disappearance from law work from dealing with family matters in Kentucky, Frank returned back to the state where he found the current Sheriff of New Hanover was Sheriff Cedric Worth. Sheriff Worth was happy to hire Frank back on to the law office and offered him the position of Undersheriff as it was vacant at the time of his return. Upon the successful defeat and arrest of The Dead West, Sheriff Worth retired and left Frank to finish out the rest of his term as Sheriff of the County of New Hanover.