Otto Stephen "Steve” Will 1942-2012

WILL FORSLING

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/16/2012 at 13:13:17

Sioux City Journal
May 30, 2012

Otto Stephen "Steve” Will, 70, of Sioux City died Sunday, May 27, 2012, at a Sioux City hospital.

Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Thursday in Memorial Park Cemetery, with the Rev. Del Olivier of Augustana Lutheran Church officiating. Visitation has been changed to 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 pm., a Masonic service led by Triangle Lodge 643 AF&AM at 6:30 p.m. followed by a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Augustana Lutheran Church. Arrangements are under the direction of Waterbury Funeral Service in Sergeant Bluff. Online condolences for the family may be made at www.waterburyfuneralserviceinc.com.

Otto was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Jan. 13, 1942, the son of Rudolph and Elvira (Forsling) Will. He moved to Sioux City as an infant and spent the rest of his life in Sioux City. He attended Sioux City Public Schools and graduated from Central High School midyear in 1960.

Following his graduation, he worked for the Sioux City Water Department and a few years later he became a member of the Sioux City Fire Department, where he served as a firefighter for 33 years. Otto served at Station 1, Station 8, and Station 7 in both the old and new locations and he often cooked the meals for his fellow firefighters. Otto was one of the first responders to the crash scene of United Flight 232 in July 1989.

He was a member of Augustana Lutheran Church, Triangle Lodge 643 AF&AM, Abu-Bekr Shrine Temple, and a former member of the White Horse Mounted Patrol, where he handled and rode the trained mule in many parades in Siouxland and throughout the United States. He and his white mule also enjoyed performing tricks and entertaining children and the elderly. Otto enjoyed gardening, canning, and cooking. His children remember the fun family vacations to the Black Hills, Grand Canyon, Old Tucson, Ariz., Yellowstone National Park, and Glacier National Park.

He is survived by his daughter, Jennifer Collins and husband, Drew of Lenexa, Kan.; son, Steve Will and wife, Megan of Urbandale, Iowa; brother, Spencer Will of Sioux City; sister, Linda Will-Roussopoulos and husband, Dave of Woodbury, Minn.; and six grandchildren.

Otto was preceded in death by his parents; and Chester T. Mule.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jerry Plathe, Dan Plathe, Lee Hansen, Jon Roupe, Dan Roupe, Lee Dodds, Shane Archer, Dave Roussopoulos, and Benjamin Collins.