Elliott, William "Bill" N. 1936-2023

ELLIOTT, LEONARD, JANSEN, KEUNING, MANLEY, HOWELL, LEE, ROSS, LONG, LEIBROOK, POWER, BANKS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 12/30/2023 at 15:22:00

William N. Elliott
July 19, 1936 - September 12, 2023

On September 12, 2023 William “Bill” Nelson Elliott went to be with his Lord and Savior. Coburn Funeral home, Monroe Iowa, will be assisting Fippingers Funeral home, Aledo, IL with services. A church service will be held at Buffalo Prairie Community Church at 10 am on Saturday, September 16, 2023, committal will follow with military honors at the Edgington Cemetery. A luncheon to be held at the church after the ceremony where people are welcome to share stories of “Wild Bill Over the Hill, Never Worked and Never Will”, with friends and family.

Bill was the middle child born to Rufus and Ellen (Leonard) Elliott on July 19, 1936 in Aledo, Illinois. Bill lived on the farm most of his life. He graduated from Reynolds High School in 1954. After graduating he continued to work on the farm. During his single days, he and some buddies would go to dances. It was there he met the love of his life, Mary Jansen from Missouri. Bill started talking to Mary and a friendship and love began to develop. Bill would go to Davenport where Mary lived with her sisters, just to visit her. They went to many dances and would dance the night away. One of their favorites to dance to was Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood”. They would unite in marriage on June 20, 1959.

Three months and three days later (September 1959) Bill was called to duty by the Army draft to Korea. He first went to Fort Riley in Kansas, Fort Carson in Colorado, Fort Benning in Georgia then onto Korea. There in Korea he was 1st Cavalry Division 8th Cavalry Battle Group.

Even though he was proud of his service and proud of his country he could not wait to get home to his bride. He returned home to the Reynolds, Buffalo Prairie area. Bill worked hard on the farm tending to his hogs, cattle, corn, beans and later tomatoes. Bill and Mary continued to go dancing when they could. Bill was a fun loving guy. He enjoyed doing stunts in Glenn Cook’s Rockridge Follies for many years. He was in the “Black Bart Gang” and part of “Elvis’s” crew. In addition to his ‘gang’ life he was also a belly-button whistler and he even pretended he had a right false leg. He would spend most of those Follies nights on roller skates too. Bill retired from farming when they sold the farm ground in 2008. He then went to work for Dave Martin at Martin Grain, then later Big River. Where he would haul crops for farmers until they moved to Pella, Iowa in 2020.

Along with farming he enjoyed going camping, hunting, traveling, snowmobiling, flying, going to sporting events, helping Kris with her show calves and pulling jokes on people. During one hunting season, he was part of a hanging deer theft. During fair time, he would be right in the middle of the water fights at the fair. That’s if he wasn’t at the ‘board meeting’ in the camper. He was a member at the time of the Buffalo Prairie Presbyterian Church, Kaaba Shriners, Buffalo Prairie Masonic Lodge #679, American Legion Post 1166 Reynolds.

He was currently living in Altoona, Iowa with his wife of 64 years Mary. Bill and Mary moved from Reynolds, IL to Pella Iowa to be closer to their daughter, Kris and her husband Judd in July of 2020. Bill and Mary recently moved to Altoona in April. While in Iowa, Bill enjoyed giving advice and talking farming with whomever would listen. He would help Judd and Kris on the farm when he was able, by using HIS little John Deere tractor to mow the pasture. He did get a chance to go to the hunting shed a couple of times with Judd and would tell stories of his hunts. He also attended some high school softball games to watch Judd and Kris’ niece play.

Those left to cherish his memory his wife Mary, daughter Kris and son in law Judd Keuning Monroe, Iowa, a sister Carolyn (Larry) Manley Richmond VA, sister in law Agnes Howell, Frankfort, KY, brother in laws Terry (Nedra) Lee Coal Valley, IL, Bill (Maxine) Jansen Layfette, CO nieces Joy Ross, Jill Long (Charlie), Debbie (Ken) Leibrook, nephews Troy (Laura) Manley, Mark (Patti) Lee, Randy Lee (John), Brian Lee, Terry Wayne Lee, Sean (Jodi) Lee, Todd (Peggy) Lee, Doug (Jamie) Howell, Allen (Julie) Jansen, David (Jodie) Jansen, many great nieces and nephews and many “adopted” kids and good neighbors. He is preceded in death by his parents, brother Jim Elliott, sister in laws Lois Power and Norma Lee, brother in laws Jerry Howell and Buster Power, a niece Kelly Banks, a nephew Ty Manley, a great-nephew Patrick Lee, and many great friends. The “Board” meeting may start, all members are present.

Mary, Kris and Judd would like to thank Midwest Hospice and the Comfort House of Pella for their help and assistance over the last month. A special thanks to his in-home nurse Tiffany, aide Val and social worker Leslie. You ladies are angels.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the American Legion Post 1166 in Reynolds, IL or Buffalo Prairie Community Church.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of William, please visit our Tree Store.
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