Wilkanowski was born on November 15, 1886 as listed on his grave and on his draft card, and the year 1886 indicated as estimated in several census records of New York. His obituary states his age to be 69 in December 1954, which would then indicate the birth year as 1885. The draft card of 1942 reveals his birth place to be Działyń, but it is unclear, which of the 4 places of this name in Poland it could have been.