Wilbur Lee Charbonneau

Wilbur Lee Charbonneau, 85, aka “The Firecracker King,” of El Dorado Springs, was born on Oct. 13, 1935, in Kansas to Abraham and Wilma (Pedersen) Charbonneau and passed from this life on Dec. 17, 2020, at Barone’s Alzheimer’s Care Center in Nevada, after a valiant fight with dementia and COVID.

After growing up in Baldwin City, KS, Wilbur met and married Marilyn Scott and to their union two daughters were born, Robin and Lee Anne. After they moved to Taberville, in the early 1960s Wilbur began selling a few fireworks in his bait shop which grew into a large warehouse fireworks business near Dederick. He sold fireworks for 56 years. One year he invited the neighbors over before the fireworks season to watch “the new stuff.” That grew into the annual happening known as Wilbur’s Fireworks Show.

In the late 1980s, Wilbur married Margaret Letchworth, the new teacher in town. Together they lived life to the fullest. They raised a grandson, Zach, and adopted him in 2010.

Surviving Wilbur are his wife, Margaret, and son, Zachary, of the home; his daughter, Robin Anderson (Mark), of Kirbeyville, MO; stepson, David Letchworth; stepdaughter, Debbie Herring (Rusty), of Tulsa, OK; 14 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson, Easton Masters; two sisters, Loretta Gantenbein, of Eudora, KS, and Lorena Kraft, of DeSoto, KS; one brother-in-law, Harold Twigg, of California; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. Survivors also include the Barone’s Care Center family who made Wilbur’s final two years the best they could be.

Preceding Wilbur in death were his daughter, Lee Anne Stukesbary; his parents; his sister, Alice Randall; and his brother, Larry Charbonneau.

Wilbur Charbonneau left his mark on the world and will be greatly missed.

A  service for Wilbur was held on Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Bland-Hackleman Funeral Home with Pastor Tommy Bowen officiating. Interment followed at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery under the direction of Bland-Hackleman Funeral Home.

Pallbearers were: David Letchworth, Mark Anderson, Tom Masters, John Tanner, Jimmy Shelton and Elijah Masters. Honorary pallbearers were: Larry Davis, Bob Carpenter, Larry Hacker, Scotty Scott, Clayton Jones and Stefan Anderson.

Memorial donations may be made to the Dederick Christian Church Youth Building and left at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be left at: www.blandhackleman.com.