Skip to main content

Coronavirus Updates: For the latest COVID-19 news and information, visit Penn State's Coronavirus Information website.

Penn State College of Agricultural Science Logo
Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education
  • Undergraduate
    • Degree Options
    • Student Resources
    • Contact Us
  • Graduate
    • Degree Options
    • Student Resources
    • Contact Us
  • People
    • People
  • Research
    • Agricultural and Food Systems
    • Community Development and Engagement
    • Environment and Natural Resources
    • Population Processes in Global Perspective
    • Centers and Institutes
    • Publications
  • Extension & Outreach
    • Extension & Outreach
  • About
    • News
    • Events
    • Alumni and Friends
    • Support the Department
    • Contact Us
You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
  3. Community Capacity Building
  4. Community: A Different Biography
  5. Family

Family

. . . despite the distances [miles separating the Wilkinson family], it was clear that community was more than a subject matter in this household -- it was life. -- A.E. Luloff

Ken's Childhood

Willie Mae Wilkinson

Letter and Poem

LETTER FROM JOAN GEIGER

LETTER FROM JOAN GEIGER -- January 28, 1992
LETTER FROM JOAN GEIGER -- November 13, 1992
The Story of Deer

I read "The Deer" to Ken while he was in the hospital because it reminded me so much of his gentle approach to life and situations. On the return home after his first hospitalization and learning that he had Renal Cell Carcinoma with metastasis to the lungs and brain, we saw several deer frolicking along our drive as we arrived. We looked at each other and smiled. "This must be a positive sign," I said. Ken, like the deer in the story, used the power of gentleness to touch the hearts and minds of those around him in the next few weeks before his death and died with peace within. -- Beverly Henshaw

LETTER FROM JANET WILKINSON -- November 21, 1993
REMEBERING (a tribute to the relationship between Brian and Ken), December 24, 1993

One of Ken's daughters-in-law gave this poem to Beverly Henshaw.

SEEING THE WORLD FROM A BIG PICTURE ATTITUDE, September 3, 1997, --by David Wilkinson
SOURCES OF STRENGTH, November 14, 1997

Kimber (Henshaw) Kane shares her thoughts about her stepdad, Ken. Recorded by Steve Nelson, November 14, 1997

Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

  • Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development Overview
  • Community Capacity Building
    • Community Capacity Building Overview
    • Resources for Addressing "Brain Drain" from Rural Communities
    • Community: A Different Biography
    • Social Capital
    • Professional Development in Community Development
    • NERCRD-sponsored Funding Opportunities
    • Impacts of Northeast Community Development Programs
    • Dataset: Economic resilience of US counties during the Great Recession
    • First Impressions
    • La​tent In​no​va​tion
  • Regional Economic Development
    • Regional Economic Development Overview
    • Resources
    • Targeting Regional Economic Development
    • Business Retention and Expansion
    • Webinars, Presentations, and Conference Proceedings
    • Tourism resources
  • Local and Regional Food Systems
    • Local and Regional Food Systems Overview
    • Food system research resources
    • Food system educational and training resources
    • 2017 AFRI Project Directors Meeting presentation files
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Entrepreneurship Overview
    • Entrepreneurship Learning Groups
    • Extension and technical assistance programs for entrepreneurs
    • Research resources on entrepreneurship
    • Conferences and Training Resources
  • Balanced Use of Natural Resources
    • Balanced Use of Natural Resources Overview
    • Land Use Maps for the Northeast
    • Policy Briefs from the 2007 TransAtlantic Land Use Conference
    • Land Use in the Northeast U.S.
    • Land-Use Publications
    • Land-Use Contacts in the Northeast
    • Transatlantic Land Use Conference (TALUC)
    • An archive of the Northeast Center's land use initiatives
    • land-use images
  • News
    • News Overview
    • Spotlight
  • Training, Webinars, and Conferences
  • Center Research
  • Impacts
    • Impacts Overview
    • Estimation methods for impact indicators shown in Table 7 of The Impact Indicators Tips Booklet
  • About the Center
    • About the Center Overview
    • Center Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Technical Advisory Committee
    • History
    • Goals
    • Overview
    • What states are served by NERCRD?
    • NERCRD's Impact
  • Contact Us

Center Resources

Publications Presentations Data sets

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Subscribe to our e-Newsletter

NERCRD_BetterLogo.png

eXtension

Center Resources

Publications Presentations Data sets

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Subscribe to our e-Newsletter

NERCRD_BetterLogo.png

eXtension
Back to Top

Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education

  • About
  • Directory
  • Department Telephone 814-865-5461
  • Facebook
Penn State College of Agricultural Science Logo

Privacy and Legal Statements — Accessibility — Penn State Hotlines — © 2022 The Pennsylvania State University

Penn State College of Agricultural Science Logo

Explore

  • Degrees & Programs
  • Admissions
  • Research
  • Extension
  • About
  • College Directory
  • Contact Us

Information for

  • Students
  • Industry
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Visitors & Public
Request Info Schedule a Visit Apply
 
Penn State College of Agricultural Science Logo