A Royal Honor - Grand Chute Gazette

The Traveling Man

We were invited among hundreds of other people to a celebration of life of H.I.M Professor Fuankem Achankeng I August 29 – 31^st, 2025.

The colorful ceremony was a festival of culture, inclusion & intellectualism during which Professor Fuankem was honored by the City of Appleton. Mayor Jake Woodford of Appleton’s proclamation for the recipient’s contributions to global impact and community excellence was presented by former Mayor, Tim Hanna.

My wife, Karri and I were seated beside the former Mayor of Appleton and the City’s Communication Secretary, Anindita (Andy) Anaam.

We met with the Professor’s wife, Dr. Patience Fuankem, many of his wonderful children and other distinguished guests who came from all over the United States, Africa, and Canada. The guests at the celebration of Professor Fuankem, including HRM Ikpo Mene Senewo, King of Ogoniland in the Niger Delta of Nigeria and Professors from many US Universities, truly enjoyed a wide variety of delicious traditional dishes from West and Central Africa

Speaking to my wife and me, Prof Fuankem said “Appleton and the Fox Cities were a great environment to raise his children many of whom have benefited from the education and calm and quiet life in the Fox Cities to become accomplished and contributing individuals and professionals.” He added that he was most thankful to the Lord who led him and his wife to Appleton thanks to Jimmy Thomas, an Angel he had met in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the 1996 Promise Keepers event and his friends, Scott and Jane Laue, who encouraged the family to move to the Fox Cities. Jimmy Thomas, who traveled from Palmetto, Florida to chair the celebration, spoke about how Fuankem’s coming to the Fox Valley with his family all began.

One other guest from Lowell, Massachussetts, Fru Nde Nkimbeng, recounted how very impressed he was with the Fox Cities to have hundreds of participants in a very big celebration in an all-white neighborhood in Appleton, and he never saw a single policeman.

Many artists and bands performed on Friday, August 29^th and Saturday, August 30^th both at the Evergreen Neighborhood home and at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center, including Pastor Ed and Christine Herman from Turning Point Church in Reedsburg, Wisconsin and the Bambui (African) Dance Group from Milwaukee. The theme of the music was all praise and worship in thanksgiving to God for His many blessings on the family. Of the several groups that performed at the occasion one of our favorite cultural presentations on Friday, Aug 29^th, 2025, was a dance with an octopus looking creature adorned with bells held by a group of chanting individuals who brought the dance to many important guests, including my wife and me. There was just a great deal of fun!

We were truly BLESSED to be part of this magical celebration.