Clarence N. Wilch

Clarence N. Wilch, 92, of Topeka, passed away on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at Aldersgate Village. He was born April 16, 1917 on a farm near Richland, KS, the fourth of six sons born to Charles W. and Tressie F. Leonard Wilch. He graduated from Berryton High School in 1936. After spending a year in Michigan, he returned to the Kansas City, MO area where he attended refrigeration and heating school. He worked for Parkview Drug Stores and later obtained a job with North American Manufacturing that produced B-25 Light Bombers for WWII. In 1943, he was drafted into the Army Air Corps and served from 1943-1946.

After the service, he was employed by McElroy, Inc. in Topeka as a refrigeration and heating technician. In the late 1950's, he was working with Dairy Queen stores installing ice machines. At the time, they were seeking an efficient way to produce a fluid ice drink. They encouraged Clarence to invent a machine that would produce such a drink. In his spare time, he began to experiment with different methods of design. In 1959, he patented the Wilch Fluid Ice machine. In 1966, Clarence began Wilch Manufacturing, Inc. The company grew and relocated three times before building a new plant in the Southgate Industrial Park in 1978. During the peak of his business, he had a many as 100 employees and sold the machines worldwide. In 1987, he retired but stayed active doing building maintenance up until 2000. He was a member of Highland Park United Methodist Church, the Highland Park Optimist Club, Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce and the Topeka Better Business Bureau.

Clarence married Ethelda Land on June 28, 1941 at her home near the community of Ridgeway, KS. They shared 68 years of marriage. She survives. Other survivors include a daughter; Dr. Cheryl Jordan and her husband, Dr. James Jordan of Corvallis, OR; a son, Stanley J. Wilch and his wife, Susan of Berryton and a brother; Merton H. Wilch of Topeka. He was preceded in death by his parents and four brothers; Cletus, Kyle, Harold and Veryl and a nephew; David Wilch.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Highland Park United Methodist Church where the family will receive friends one hour prior to service time. Burial will follow in Mount Hope Cemetery. Clarence will lie in state from 3:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesday at Penwell-Gabel Southeast Chapel, 2843 S.E. Minnesota Ave. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Highland Park United Methodist Church, 2914 S.E. Michigan Ave., Topeka, KS 66605 or to the Good Samaritan Fund at Aldersgate Village, 7220 SW Asbury Dr., Topeka, KS 66614.