William E. Kemp (2014)

KEMP, AITKEN, RARICK, KEMP-BAIRD, NELSON, ELEFTHERI, VERSTEEGT, GORSLINE

Posted By: Shirley Keating (email)
Date: 4/18/2014 at 21:49:09

Kale Funeral Home, Oseola, Iowa

William "Bill" E. Kemp

Bill Kemp, 88, died peacefully Wednesday, April 16, 2014, at Clarke County Hospital surrounded by family and friends. A Celebration of Bill's life will be held 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23, at the First Christian Church, 300 South Main Street, in Osceola, Iowa with Dr. Rev. Al Adams presiding. Family will received friends one hour prior to the service. A lunch will follow at the church.

Bill was born August 17, 1925, in Galva, Iowa one of six children born to Bert F. Kemp and Ruth J. (Aitken) Kemp. At the age of 17 years, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a combat corpsman during World War II; one of the invasions being the D-Day invasion on Normandy, Frances. He then returned to Leon, Iowa, and graduated from Leon High School in 1947. Bill married Betty M. Rarick on October 3, 1948 in Leon, Iowa. They are loving and devoted parents of Dr. Kenneth L. Kemp, DVM and Rev. Linda Kemp-Baird. Bill was commissioned as Elder Emeritus of First Christian Church in January of this year. For many years he owned and operated a vending machine business which covered Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Warren, and Madison Counties. When he wasn't working for "the route", he was planning on his next fishing outing, spending time with family or talking with friends.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Agnes, brother Michael (Mick), and his son Ken.

Bill is survived by his wife Betty, his daughter-in-law Terrie (Ed Nelson) of Van Meter, Iowa and his daughter Linda (Bob) Kemp-Baird, Daytona Beach, Florida; his grandchildren Jason Kemp of Waukee, Iowa, Jill (Anthony) Eleftheri of Zionsville, Indiana, Jerrad (Jenna) Kemp of Clive, Iowa, and Drew Kemp-Baird of Daytona Beach, Florida, as will as brothers Robert A. (Alice) Kemp, Samuel (Karen) Kemp and Gretchen VerSteegt; sister-in-law Wanda (David) Gorsline. Bill and Betty have particularly enjoyed their great-grandchildren; Maddison, Nick, Nora, Fletcher, and Henry Kemp, Nicholas and Victoria Eleftheri. Bill will be missed as well by many nieces, nephews and life-long friends.

Family requests, in lieu of flowers, that memorial contributions be made to First Christian Church of Osceola