Harvey Raymond Wikert Jr. was born in Etna, the only son of Harvey Wikert and Elizabeth Henrich Wikert. He worked for HJ Heinz Company after school and after graduation from high school. His employment there hinged in part on his unique ability to taste the milk before it was used in the soup mixtures. He could tell when milk was turning 2 or 3 days before other people could, and he passed this strange talent to me, his daughter.
When the war threatened, he enlisted in the US Army. Taking advantage of his talents, he was trained to work in and command a mess unit for the Army. Due to chronic high blood pressure, he was never eligible to serve overseas. He ended up training other mess workers. When he learned from relatives at home that sons of local families had joined, he worked to get them into the mess for training.
He and Helen Ferber were married in Laurel, Maryland on 30 June 1941. The couple also lived near Meadville during his Army service. During the last stages of the European war, Harvey escorted shell-shocked soldiers arriving from the European theater, taking them as far as California.
After the war he lived in the house at Greenwood Cemetery until 1959. His work included helping his mother-in-law with equipment. He finally purchased his own tractor-trailer and started working as an independant steel hauler.
He traveled all over the East Coast with his steel rig, and enjoyed driving to Florida with his family once or twice each year.
But his health declined with the flare-up of his blood pressure problems. Hiding his concern, he died in Indiana Township at his home in February of 1975.
Harvey Raymond Wikert Jr. was born in Etna, the only son of Harvey Wikert and Elizabeth Henrich Wikert. He worked for HJ Heinz Company after school and after graduation from high school. His employment there hinged in part on his unique ability to taste the milk before it was used in the soup mixtures. He could tell when milk was turning 2 or 3 days before other people could, and he passed this strange talent to me, his daughter.
When the war threatened, he enlisted in the US Army. Taking advantage of his talents, he was trained to work in and command a mess unit for the Army. Due to chronic high blood pressure, he was never eligible to serve overseas. He ended up training other mess workers. When he learned from relatives at home that sons of local families had joined, he worked to get them into the mess for training.
He and Helen Ferber were married in Laurel, Maryland on 30 June 1941. The couple also lived near Meadville during his Army service. During the last stages of the European war, Harvey escorted shell-shocked soldiers arriving from the European theater, taking them as far as California.
After the war he lived in the house at Greenwood Cemetery until 1959. His work included helping his mother-in-law with equipment. He finally purchased his own tractor-trailer and started working as an independant steel hauler.
He traveled all over the East Coast with his steel rig, and enjoyed driving to Florida with his family once or twice each year.
But his health declined with the flare-up of his blood pressure problems. Hiding his concern, he died in Indiana Township at his home in February of 1975.
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