William Kenneth Bryant 1920-2016
BRYANT, HALL, KESLAKE, WAGNER, NIGHTENGALE
Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 12/28/2016 at 19:15:48
William Kenneth "Buck, Papa” Bryant, 96 years old, went to be with the Lord November 30, 2016. He was born in Rogersville, MO, on January 3, 1920. He was raised on a small farm in Missouri by his mother and older brother. Papa was the last child of Mr. Bryant's second family. Mr. Bryant had three older daughters which he reared after his wife died. He then remarried and had a second family of four boys and a girl. Mr. Bryant died when Papa was two years old. Papa’s father, who was 75 years old when Papa was born, fought in the Civil War.
Papa worked for Herr’s Department Store as a teen where he worked on the top floor cleaning fur coats. Papa liked furs and went to New York to become a furrier. He graduated and made an award-winning fur coat placing him at the top of his class. In 1941, he turned 21 and America was drawn into the Second World War. He joined the Coast Guard. He and his fellow crewmen were sent to patrol Greenland, Newfoundland, and Labrador, watching for German submarines. Later in the war he served on the USS Wakefield as a radar technician ferrying troops to Europe and back home from Europe.
When the war was over he went back to Springfield, MO. Since there would be no more war, he thought that joining the Navy Reserve was a good way to make a little extra weekend money. He was wrong on both accounts. While in Springfield, Papa met Miss Marion Hall, an army lieutenant in the army medical lab. They were married on November 2, 1949.
He worked for two different companies during this time, one in Cedar Rapids and another in Gary, IN.
He was called back into active duty in the Navy during the Korean conflict.
After his military service Papa accepted an offer in Florida to help his brother-in-law, Charlie Keslake, in the brace business during the early 1950s. His daughter, Marcia, was born in 1952.
During these years Papa accepted the Lord as his Savior and began a lifetime of service to the Lord.
Papa was appointed to be the postmaster of the Longwood Post Office. He served in the post office for 18 years. Combined with his military service he was able to retire from civil service in 1980 with 24 years of service.
God blessed them with grandchildren, Ryan and Tiffany, both were born in Winston-Salem, NC. After Papa and Nana retired they moved to Winston-Salem, NC, and later, in 1983, to Iowa and assisted Larry and Marcia Wagner with their Christian Camp near Bonaparte and later at Heritage Baptist Church, rural Keosauqua. His wife passed away in 2000. He moved back to Florida in 2008. Pastor Larry Wagner posted a video tribute at the Calhoun Baptist Church facebook page.
He is survived by his daughter, Marcia (Larry), two grandchildren, Ryan Wagner (Rachel) and Tiffany Nightengale (Rick), and three great-grandchildren, Isaac and Ian Wagner and Eliashib Nightengale.
Funeral services were held Saturday, December 3 at Calvary Baptist Church in Fruitland Park, FL with Pastor Larry Wagner officiating. He is buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bunnell, FL.
Source: Van Buren County Register, Keosauqua, IA, 22 Dec 2016
Van Buren Obituaries maintained by Rich Lowe.
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