Father Herman Wilkes was born at Barney, North Dakota on March 29, 1882, the son of Johann and Mary Terhaar Wilkes. He attended the grade and high school in his native community and after finishing high school taught school for several years.

His collegiate schooling was at St. John's at Collegeville, Minnesota and St. Mary's at Richardton, North Dakota. He completed his course for the priesthood and was ordained on June 18, 1910 by the Most Reverend James O'Reilly, D.D. Bishop of Fargo.

Rev. Herman Wilkes had the distinction of being the first native North Dakotan to be admitted to Holy Orders in the Fargo Diocese. He was first appointed assistant at St. Marys Cathedral in Fargo and three months later he was appointed pastor of the Blessed Trinity at Fingal, North Dakota where he remained until August of 1915.

For the next fifteen and a half years he was the pastor of St. Peter and Pauls Church in Mantador, North Dakota. In January of 1931 he was appointed to the St. Francis Xavier parish of Annamoose and the missions of St. Margaret at Drake and St. Patricks at Martin. On August 31, 1941 the mission of St. Margarets was raised to the status of a parish and Father Wilkes became the first pastor of the new parish. He remained at Drake until his death on May 18, 1943. The Rev. John Wilkes and the Rev. Gerhart Wilkes were brothers of the Rev. Herman Wilkes.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 267