Karl E Wilburn

Karl Wilburn died at home, Tuesday, March 3rd, after a courageous fight with cancer. He would be eighty-five in April. Karl graduated from Cedarville High School, where he played organized sports, but his true passion was the outdoor life. Karl was a lifelong farmer, conservationist, sportsman, and advocate of wildlife habitat creation and preservation. A member of the NRA, OGCA, NMLRA, and ATA, Karl excelled in shooting and related endeavors. In 1977, he earned the title National Tomahawk Throwing Champion, and in 1978, he claimed national runner-up in knife throwing. At the Greene County Fish and Game, Karl mentored youth participants in the Scholastic Clay Target Program. He earned numerous awards at the Ohio State Shoot, and participated for many years at the Grand American in Vandalia, Ohio, and at many, other venues. Karl distinguished himself as an entrepreneur. For muzzleloading enthusiasts, he invented a powder horn plug capable of carrying sufficient loads for a day hunting in the woods, freeing them from the weighty, briar-catching burden of the hunting bag. After receiving a patent, Karl and his wife Peg grew the business to include mail order kits, custom horns, historical reproductions, the import of high quality cow horns, and the development of a typing and grading system that became the industry standard. K-W Horns transformed hornsmithing. Gifted with a love of reading, Karl had an endless interest in books about Africa and early America. His peers respected him as an historian, and regretted betting him about points of fact, owing to his eidetic memory. Many fondly remember his sense of humor, his love of song, his mentoring, and his passion. Karl loved animals, especially dogs. Loyal companions preceded him in death: Duke, Skipper, Jill, Snoopy, Alex, Freckles, and Gunner. He leaves behind the irrepressible Choco. Karl is also survived by Peggy (Margaret Jean Johnson), his wife for sixty-three years; his three independent and capable daughters, Kathi (Mark) Darwin, Connie (Rick) Harstel, and Debra Wilburn; grandchildren Matthew Darwin, Megan Darwin, Erica Harstel (Dustin) Baker, Jacob Harstel, and Lara Donnelly; and great-grandson Ian Baker. Family attended a private burial in Cedarville. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45420, or the Greene County Council on Aging, 140-A Rogers Street, Xenia, Ohio 45385.

Karl E Wilburn

April 18, 1930 - March 3, 2015