MOOTY, William L. 1906-1992

MOOTY, KAUFMAN, LEHMAN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 1/19/2016 at 14:00:08

W. L. "Bill" Mooty Services Held In Grundy Center

William Lewis "Bill" Mooty passed away at his residence in rural Reinbeck on Tuesday, June 16, of natural causes. He attained the age of 86 years and 24 days.

Masonic services were held Friday, June 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Engelkes-Abels Funeral Home in Grundy Center.

Funeral services were held Saturday, June 20, at First Presbyterian Church, Grundy Center, at 10:30 a.m. with Rev. Glenn R. Dieken officiating.

Honorary pallbearers were Ralph Anderson, Paul Graham, Henry Geerdes, Don Kleibenstein, Eugene Plager and Arnie Schultz.

Pallbearers were Charles Mooty III, Larry Kiehne, Walt Miller, Richard Billerbeck, Arlyn Billerbeck and Mike Lovell.

Interment was in Morrison Cemetery, Morrison.

Memorials may be directed to First Presbyterian Church, Grundy Center, or to the Shriner's Crippled Children's Hospitals.

Mr. Mooty was born May 23, 1906 on a farm in Washington Township, Grundy County. He was the son of William A. and May E. (Kaufman) Mooty, the former having served three terms in the Iowa Legislature.

Bill Mooty graduated from Reinbeck High School in 1924. He then enrolled in the University of Iowa where he received the BA and LLB degrees. Following admission to the bar in 1930, he practiced law in Grundy Center in association with R. J. Williamson.

Mr. Mooty served on the city council and was elected county attorney in 1932 and 1934. In 1934 he was elected to the first board of directors of the Grundy National Bank.

During World War II, Bill served briefly as a special investigator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1942 he accepted a commission in the Army Air Corps and was discharged as a major in 1946.

After the war Mr. Mooty engaged in farming and the automobile and farm implement business. He was elected to the first board of commissioners of the Grundy County Memorial Hospital. In 1950 he was elected to the first of four terms in the Iowa House of Representatives. From 1957 to 1959 he served as Speaker of the House. In 1960 and 1962 he was elected Lieutenant governor of the State of Iowa. Bill Mooty is the only resident of Grundy County ever to serve as Speaker or Lieutenant Governor.

Bill was active in American Legion, Rotary, Elks, Masons, Scottish Rite Des Moines Consistory, El Kahir Shrine Temple, Cedar Rapids, Royal Order of Jesters, Odd Fellows, Emerald Lodge #334 AF & AM Grundy Center, and the State Bar Association. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Grundy Center, having served as elder.

He was married to Jean Lehman of Oklahoma City on February 16, 1946 in Oklahoma City. Bill was actively engaged in farming until the time of his death.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Helen M. Hennessy.

Survivors include two daughters, Marcia Mooty, and Helen (Mrs. Jim) Boyer, both of rural Reinbeck; one granddaughter, Madelon Boyer; and ex-wife Jean Hawkins of Carrollton, Texas.

The Engelkes-Abels Funeral Home in Grundy Center was in charge of professional arrangements.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 25 June 1992, pg 1, 2