Dr. Jack Petty Wilhelm age 85 of Florence passed away on Sunday, February 07, 2016. Visitation will be Tuesday, February 09, 2016 at Highland Park Church of Christ in Muscle Shoals, Al from 12 noon until 2:00 P.M. Services will follow in the church at 2:00 P.M. Burial will be at Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens. Elkins Funeral Home of Florence in charge.
Jack Petty Wilhelm was born August 12, 1930 to John A. and Octavia (Octie) Petty Wilhelm at Scottsboro, Alabama. He graduated as president of his Senior Class at Jackson County High School in 1948, and with a BA in 1952 from David Lipscomb College where he was student body president. In 1959, he earned the first Master’s Degree conferred by the University of North Alabama and obtained his Education Specialist Degree at UNA in 1979. He earned his PhD from Auburn University in 1997.
He married Mary Alice Smith of New Hope, Alabama on March 27, 1955. Their three children are Mark (and wife Liz) Wilhelm of Greenville, Texas; David (and wife Deb) Wilhelm of Birmingham, Alabama; and Holly (and husband Randy) Norton of Huntsville, Alabama. Their grandchildren are Brent, Blake (and wife Lindsey) and Marybeth Norton; and Nathan (and wife Jordan), Ryan (and wife Marlee), Hannah, Lindsay, and Christopher Wilhelm. Great-grandchildren are Lawson Blake Norton and Hazel Jaye Wilhelm.
He was preceded in death by his mother in 1952 and his father in 1972. His two brothers, Brooks and Robert, are also deceased.
While in high school, Jack Wilhelm began preaching at Larkinsville, Alabama in 1945. He preached for his home congregation in Scottsboro from 1949-1955. He and Mary Alice have assisted Churches of Christ at Eastside (now Cox Boulevard) in Sheffield, Sherrod Avenue in Florence, and Highland Park in Muscle Shoals, with repeated tenures at all three. He preached for the Mars Hill church in Florence from 1998-2006. He also preached for the Jackson Park church in Nashville, the Laurel Avenue church in Knoxville, and the South College church in Auburn. During a ministry that lasted over two-thirds of a century, he conducted over 200 gospel meetings. He spoke in meetings, special days, or singular lecture events for over 230 of the churches of Christ in Alabama.
He delivered daily radio programs for many years between 1950 and 1995, in Scottsboro, Muscle Shoals, Florence, and Auburn, Alabama and also in Madison, Tennessee. He began the daily TV program, “Televisit with the Bible,” in 1957 and was a principal speaker for a period that spanned 50 years. In the 1960’s he was a frequent guest as “Minister of the Week” on Jud Collin’s Noon Show on WSM-TV in Nashville.
Dr. Wilhelm served 22 years as president of Mars Hill Bible School (1962-1983 and 2000). He served on the Mars Hill Bible School Board of Directors from 1997-2000 and for two years as an administrator at Knoxville Christian School (1983-1985).
From 1980-1992 he published the RSVP Newsletter for ministers in all 50 states. It has been estimated that as many as 1000 congregations might have heard sermons that ministers adapted from his published materials. Since 1987, he taught classes each spring and fall for ministers at Athens and Winfield. He wrote the Gospel Advocate’s Companion yearbook for 2003-2004 and 13 Foundation Quarterlies for adults from 2004-2007. He wrote additional study books for Lambert Publishing.
Jack and Mary Alice have published over 20 books for personal and class studies. They also spent two summers (1990 and 1991) teaching classes in Vienna, Austria; and in England and Glenrothes, Scotland in 1990.
The family has designated Mars Hill Bible School, 698 Cox Creek Parkway, Florence, Alabama 35630 as a recipient of any memorial gifts friends may wish to make. The family would like to say a special thank-you to Jim and Lila Evans, Rickey and Lisa Collum, and Dr. Danny Martin and staff for all of their help. They also express deep appreciation to the many friends of the family who have blessed them with support and friendship through the years.
