Biography

Wilke was born on December 31, 1895 in Port Washington, Wisconsin

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Port Washington is the county seat of Ozaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is about 25 miles north of Milwaukee and 110 miles north of Chicago. In the 2000 census Port Washington had a population of 10,467...

. He passed away on July 29, 1977 in Iron Mountain, Michigan

Iron Mountain, Michigan

Iron Mountain is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,154. It is the county seat of Dickinson County, in the state's Upper Peninsula....

.

Career

Wilke was a member of the Senate from 1949 to 1950. Previously, he was Register of Deeds of Dickinson County, Michigan

Dickinson County, Michigan

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,472 people, 11,386 households, and 7,583 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 13,702 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...

 from 1935 to 1946 and a delegate to the 1944 Democratic National Convention

Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...

 that nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

 for a historic fourth term as President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the general election for the Michigan House of Representatives in 1954 and in the Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

primary in 1958.