Petersburg Pilot -

Robert (Bob) Eiler Wikan, 74, passed away February 13, 2013 after living in Petersburg most of his life.

He was born on September 23, 1938 to Eiler and Dagny (Lian) Wikan. After attending Petersburg Public Schools, he went on to receive his GED and later got certificates in Architecture and plate welding.

Even as a child, Bob enjoyed working and earning his own money by babysiting, picking and selling blueberries, and he would take a row boat out to catch herring and cod to sell to the mink farm. He later worked on a seiner and a tender. While working in the egg house at PAF his friends Rod Ellis and Roy Anderson dubbed him the “Caviar King”.

At 18, Bob was drafted into the Army and was stationed at Ft Lewis in Washington. After his service he worked on Jacobi Island staking claims for a nickel mine. After returning to Petersburg, he tended bar at Kito's and then the Petersburg Bar.

He later managed the Moose Lodge and then the Elks Club. During this time, he met and married Barbara (Willoughby), and with her children, Darcel, Galen, Susan and Donald they became a family of six. A year later, they added their daughter Samantha, and Bob adopted Donald. He worked in construction for many years in Petersburg, Anchorage, Kenai and the North Slope.

In 1986 they bought and operated the Dairy Freeze restaurant in Elma Washington until Barbara's death in 1989.

Bob soon moved back home to Petersburg and went to work in the maintenance department of the hospital until his retirement. It was there that he met Mickey Rover, and they had shared life together ever since.

He was a devoted family man and he loved to make people laugh.

He was preceded in death by both parents, wife Barbara, and a grandson Franklin Williams.

He is survived by siblings David Wikan, and Jane (Craig) Slater; children Samantha Wikan-Williams and Donald Wikan stepchildren Darcel Schouweiler, Galen Burrell, and Susan Burrell; 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchilren; and many nieces and nephews.

He will be buried in Cottage Grove, Ore.