McLain, William Fred 1943 - 2022
MCLAIN, HARMS, HENDERSON, STROMSETH, MOLITOR, JUDAS
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 1/14/2022 at 11:27:03
U.S. Veteran
William “Bill” McLain, age 78 of Decorah, IA, died on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah.
His funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at the Schluter-Balik Funeral Home, 604 South Avenue in Decorah with Matthew Alexander presiding. Burial will be in the Russell Cemetery with full military rites.
A visitation will be held for Bill on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Schluter-Balik Funeral Home, 604 South Ave in Decorah. Following the visitation, everyone is invited to the Lingonberry Event Center, 218 W. Water Street in Decorah for food and beverages to share memories of Bill. There will also be visitation after 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday before his service.
Uncle Bill was a great guy! His positive attitude and fellowship towards his friends and family reflected everywhere he went. He was an icon on Water Street, Decorah, IA, and will truly be missed.
William (Bill) Fred McLain was born on October 1, 1943, in Decorah, IA, to the parents of Fred and Virginia (Harms) McLain. He grew up on the family farm, attended Canoe Number 2 grade school and then Decorah High School, where he graduated in 1961, and was a National Merit Scholar.
After high school, Bill attended college at the University of Iowa for chemistry for 2 years and then joined the Navy, where he was learning to fix radios. While serving in the Navy, he was sent to Vietnam. After Bill came home from his service in the Navy and Vietnam, he said, “Every day is a gift.” Bill lived by those words.
After serving in the Navy, he came home and farmed with his father, Fred and brother, Jim, during the 70s, 80s and into the early 90s. Farming included filling silos in the neighborhood, filling the barn with hay, working with various livestock and fieldwork. During that time, farming changed and progressed, from stacking hay on the flat wagons to getting a kicker baler; from filling silos around the neighborhood and silo crews to each farm filling their own; from no one having a TV and then the first neighbor getting a TV and everyone gathering to watch the Ed Sullivan Show, to each family having their own TV. Bill’s typical day was to work on the farm all day, then clean up and go to town for supper and social time.
Around age 50, Bill got his first “off the farm job” at Wal-mart in Decorah, in the lawn and garden department for a short time and then he worked at Story People until retirement. He met so many wonderful people along the way and touched so many lives.
He loved to hike in the family woods, at Effigy Mounds and all over Decorah. He enjoyed socializing, storytelling, live music, nature and fishing. For live music, he enjoyed Matter’s Ballroom and Nob Hill, the Prairie Dog Blues Festival and wherever he could find it. He always said our local talent was some of the best! Some of his favorite hangouts were Vick’s Tavern, Kip N Dees, Zahasky’s, the Cavern, Van Butler’s pool hall, Magpie Coffeehouse, Oneota Food Coop and a bench on Water Street. His favorite restaurants were T-Bock’s, Mabe’s, Don Jose, Great Dragon, LaRana, Ruby’s and Ede’s Angry Pickle.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Virginia McLain, and a baby sibling.
Bill is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Cathy McLain, sister and brother-in-law, Don Henderson and Barb McLain-Henderson and brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Carol McLain, first cousins Donald and Sally Stromseth, Sonja Molitor and Mae Judas, along with several nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. Bill is also survived by the most amazing friend network a person could ever have imagined, that includes the Wohlford family, the Matter family, the families of Jon & Robyn Duder, Daina and Eyan Bond, Jim Juve, Ellen Rockne and his former StoryPeople co-workers and former Wal-mart co-workers.
The love and support shown to him over the years cannot be measured. He was truly a person that added to one’s life.
Source: Schluter-Balik Funeral Home database
Russell Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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