Willard Raymond Wille, 17 Aug 1953 – 11 Sept 2013

WILLE, BAHR, LESS, MCCAW, PAXTON, RHINEHART, GOHLKE, MCFADDEN

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 10/22/2013 at 10:43:46

Willard Wille, 60

Funeral service for Willard Wille, 60, Grinnell, was held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Grinnell. He died Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013, at Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines.

Memorials may be sent in care of Smith Funeral Home, P.O. Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112.

Willard Raymond Wille was born Aug. 17, 1953, in Iowa City, the son of Raymond Henry and Vada Bahr Wille. He was raised in the Victor area and graduated in 1971 from HLV High School. He served in the Army from 1973 to 1975.

He married Barbara Less Jan. 28, 1978, in Blairstown. The couple had three daughters, Elizabeth, Sarah and Melissa. They raised their family in the Victor area before moving to Grinnell in 2003.

He was a hobby farmer. He was always tinkering with something in his machine shed or at the farm. There were several fishing trips to Canada years ago with his friends for bass and walleye. He enjoyed the outdoors, as well as feeding and watching his birds.

While his children were in school, he was an avid supporter of HLV sports and was always there to cheer the teams on.

His greatest love was spending time with his family and grandchildren. He will always be remembered for his goofiness and his smile. His family will cherish memories of him dancing to the “Little Willy” song at family events.
He was a proud member of the Victor American Legion.

Wille is survived by his wife, Barbara Wille, Grinnell; daughters, Elizabeth and Zach McCaw, Glenwood; Sarah and Danny Paxton, Greenfield, and Melissa and Mark Rhinehart, Victor; five grandchildren, Madison and Carter McCaw, Ashlyn, Morgan and Owen Rhinehart; his mother, Vada Wille, Brooklyn, and his sister, Vadarae Gohlke, Littlefield, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his father; his parents-in-law, Vernon and Josephine Less; one sister-in-law, Patricia Less, and brothers-in-law, Eldon Gohlke and Clint McFadden.

The Williamsburg Journal Tribune, Iowa County Obituaries, 19 Sept 2013
Published in The Gazette Sept. 13, 2013.