MANESS, William John

MANESS, TRIPP, LANE, HOLLAND, TITUS, NOTEBOOM, SCHNEIDER, MCMILLEN, BACH, SCHNEIDER, DAVIS, HULET, HOLMES, MYERS

Posted By: Roseanna Zehner (email)
Date: 8/16/2004 at 06:38:43

William John Maness, 86, of Glenwood, died May 3, 2003, at his home. Funeral services were held May 6, 2003, at the Calvary Baptist Church in Glenwood. Rev. Dale Tripp officiated at the service. Burial was at the Glenwood Cemetery.

Mr. Maness was the son of William Jasper and Manah Jane (Lane) Maness, born July 12, 1916, on Coffman Island in Nemaha County, Neb., which was on the east side of the river, six or seven miles west of Watson, Mo. In 1923, the family traveled via covered wagon from Watson to Greenville, Tenn. The trip took them about eight weeks. Along the way, they stopped in Longrun, Ky., and worked at a dairy farm. The family returned to Missouri in 1927. At a young age Mr. Maness began working for a local doctor, lovingly known to the community as Doc Grey. It was Doc that encouraged him to enroll in school for the first time at age 12. He soon advanced from first to second grade and then took two grades a year until he got to high school. He graduated from Watson High in 1937. He lettered on the Watson Eagles basketball team all four years of high school. He also participated in a county track meet, which was held at Tarkio College. Throughout his school years, he continued to work for Doc Grey and became the business manager of the Atchison County Independent Newspaper, which was operated out of Watson and printed in Fairfax, Mo. He married Mildred Mae Holland on July 12, 1938. He was drafted into the Army and inducted into the military at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., on April 11, 1943. He served during the 2nd World War in Patton’s 3rd Army at the Battle of the Bulge in a “Local” 549 AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion, which was’an anti-aircraft outfit. He was a radio operator in this unit that was a part of the Army intelligence service. While in the service of his country, he was awarded three bronze stars and traveled to England, France, Luxembourg, Germany and Belgium. He was honorably discharged from the Army at the Jefferson Barracks in Missouri on Dec. 28, 1945. Following the end of the war, he owned and operated the Watson Telephone Company, where he did all of his own wiring and maintenance. Utilizing the provisions of the GI Bill, he entered Peru (Neb.) State College in the early 1950s. After completing his Bachelor of Science in Education degree, he continued his education and completed his Master’s Degree on July 28, 1961. He was a teacher/principal in southwest Iowa for many years. He retired at the age of 65 in 1982. After being introduced by family members and letter writing for several months, Mr. Maness met Rosa Hawkins Titus. Three days later, on Oct. 3, 1973, they were married in the Methodist church in Bedford. His hobbies included singing and playing the guitar, banjo, mandolin and harmonica. He also enjoyed tennis, fishing, gardening and handyman/carpenter projects. Church had always been an essential part of his life. He joined the Watson Baptist Church during a revival at age 17 and later became a deacon of that church. He also served as deacon in the Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Council Bluffs. He was most recently a Deacon Emeritus of the Glenwood Calvary Baptist Church, where he was one of the founding members and deacons.

Mr. Maness was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and five sisters. He is survived by his wife, Rosa Maness of Glenwood; daughters Judy Noteboom and husband Wendell of Lincoln, Neb., and Marsha Schneider and husband Mike of Glenwood stepsons Paul Titus and wife Lucinda Of Warren, Ark., and Troy Titus and wife Genene of Smackover, Ark.; grandchildren Joe McMillen, Jeff McMillen. Jerry McMillen. John McMillen, Tia Bach, Todd Schneider, Jennifer Davis, Matthew Titus and Andrea Titus; great-grandchildren Miles McMillen. Elisha McMillen, Allie Davis, Alexis Bach, Nicolas McMillen and Aubrey Bach; sisters Eva Hulet of Rockport, Mo., Leola Holmes of Watson, Mo., and Lura Myers of Hot Springs, Ark.; several nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.

Memorials are suggested to the Calvary Baptist Church Building Fund. Peterson Mortuary in Glenwood was in charge of arrangements.