Willis Crees

CREES, ELLARS, RAFFENSPERGER

Posted By: Curtis (email)
Date: 6/9/2007 at 08:25:06

DEATH NOTICE:

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Wednesday October 19. 2005)

CREES, Willis, 70, of Dysart, Iowa died Friday, October 7, 2005 at the Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo. funeral services were October 11 at Geneseo United Methodist Church with burial at the Dysart Cemetery.

Obituary -

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Wednesday October 19, 2005)

WILLIS CREES ... Willis Wayne Crees, 70, passed away Friday, October 7, 2005 at the Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo, Iowa.

Willis was born on December 8, 1934 near Decatur, Iowa; the son of Michael S. and Ruth [Ellars} Crees. He attended country school and graduated from Beaconsfield High School in the class of 1953. He was valedictorian of his class, a class of 1. He served for a time in the United States Army. Willis continued his education at Iowa Sate University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Husbandry. On December 20, 1958, he married Peggy Raffensperger in Des Moines. In 1959, they moved to Waterloo where Willis worked for Rath Packing as a cattle buyer and farmed south of Waterloo. In 1965, he began working for the National Bank of Waterloo until 1992. In 1994, he became a stockholder of Independence Bank Shares Inc., currently serving as Vice-President. He was also the Business Development Officer at Security State Bank in Dysart and continued to farm his whole live. Willis and Peggy were presently living north of Dysart. He truly enjoyed his family, cattle and the land. He liked to attend sporting events and was a big Iowa State fan.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother Clarence. Willis is survived by his wife of 46 years, Peggy; his children: Jill Crees of Marengo, David and wife Christy Crees of Dysart and Jan and husband Cory Ahrendsen of Clutler; 5 grandchildren: Tyler, Leigh, and Will Crees and Michael and Adam Ahrendsen; 3 brothers: Kenneth Crees and wife Bonnie of Pine Top, AZ, Carl Crees and wife Carol of Leon, and LeRoy Crees and wife Velma of Brownstown, IN; and 3 sisters: Patty Crees, Barbara Jones, both of Leon, and Willa Poore and husband Duane of Mt. Ayr.