Michael Ray Wilkerson

Scott City, Kansas

Michael (“Mike”) Ray Wilkerson was born on March 31, 1965, to Raymond and Ina Bell Wilkerson in Ness City, Kansas. Mike was the second of three children of the couple. “Chip”, as he is affectionally know as to his classmates, graduated from Dighton High School in 1983. His class remained incredibly close throughout adulthood attributing a lot of that to Chip.

Mike never married nor had children but instead he had nieces and a nephew, and eventually great nieces and nephews, whom he loved like his own. Mike took them fishing and hunting, taught them to drive a stick shift and shoot a basket properly. He also taught them to do donuts in the snow among other mischievous shenanigans and always sent them home sugared up.

Mike was as stubborn as the day is long and embarrassingly friendly. You could not take him anywhere as he did not know a stranger. He wanted to know everyone and prove to us that in fact, all roads do lead to Dighton.

Mike was a get-rich-quicker always looking for the next big thing. While waiting on that, though, he did also have his own carpet cleaning business and raised labrador retrievers. Mike farmed and had cattle. Mike was not lazy and was constantly on the go.

However, his most important job in life after the spoiling of his nieces and nephews was being a caregiver for his mom; a job he excelled at. While it was not always sunshine and roses, his mom was clean, fed, safe, and happy because of him. He selflessly gave up much for that job.

Mike loved the Kansas State University Wildcats, the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, casinos, farming, telling stories, Big Red pop, Cherry Mashes, eating good food, road trips, and Red Seal fine cut chewing tobacco. He also loved to talk on the phone and often called people to be his personal Google assistant. He survived cancer multiple times and did not let it slow him down. He also survived a series of strokes in December but regretfully another one took him from us on May 12, 2026, at the age of 61.

Mike was loyal beyond measure. Moreover, he was the best friend, uncle, son, brother, cousin, nephew, neighbor. He was a dutiful servant of God. He is profoundly missed by his dog Blanche and his cat Rosie.

Mike is proceeded in death by his parents, Raymond and Ina Bell Wilkerson, and his great-nephew Gibbs Schmalzried. He is survived by his sisters Janet Offutt of Dighton and Sherri (Jim) Gipson of Rush Center; nieces Amber Schmalzried (John) of Sterling, Melissa Bowman (his Google Assistant) of Sterling, Ashley Tokoi (Iver) of Abilene, Regan Scheib (Bryan) of LaCrosse, Dakota Gipson of LaCrosse; and nephew Dillon Gipson (Alisha) of Falcon. His great nieces and nephews, Scout Tokoi, Wilkerson Schmalzried, Dighton Tokoi, Garreth Schmalzried, Sophie Scheib, Rayf Schmalzried, Rhiesa Schmalzried, Cannon Tokoi, Joseph Salgado, Reed Scheib, James Gipson, Ruger Gipson, Avery Scheib, and IsaBell Gipson.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at First Methodist Church in Dighton, Kansas.

Memorials in Lieu of Flowers can be made to the Mike Wilkerson Memorial Fund in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 553; Scott City, Kansas, 67871.

Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday, at Price & Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Kansas, 67871

The world is a little dimmer today without Mike.