William Harrison SHERIFF, Jr.

SHERIFF, GEALOW, LEIN, HARRIS, BREDE, YOUNG

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/17/2010 at 10:48:06

August 17, 2010
Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa

January 16, 1922 -- August 14, 2010

William "Bill" Harrison Sheriff Jr.

BELMOND, IA — William “Bill” H. Sheriff, Jr., 88, most recently a resident of the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond, a lifelong resident and farmer in the Belmond and Goodell, areas died Saturday (Aug. 14, 2010) at the Belmond Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010, at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 First St. S.E. Belmond, with the Rev. Paddy Druhl, officiating. Burial will be in the Amsterdam Cemetery near Goodell. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today, Tuesday, at the funeral home and continue one hour prior to services at the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to the family or the donor’s choice.

William Sheriff, the son of William H. Sheriff Sr. and Freida (Gealow) Sheriff, was born on Jan. 16, 1922, on his parents’ farm four and one-half miles southwest of Belmond. He attended Belmond area schools and graduated from Belmond High School. Following his education, Bill commenced a lifelong vocation of farming and reaping the fruits of this loved career for much of his life.

Bill was united in marriage to Marjorie Evelyn Lein, on Jan. 19, 1946. The couple’s union was blessed with three children: Dennis, Mike, and Sonja. Bill farmed for a time on the Sheriff home place south of Belmond, before eventually farming west of Goodell, where the couple raised their children. The farming operation not only involved raising crops, but Bill had been a longtime hog and cattle farmer. Over the years, he worked the farm operations, he grew not only his livestock business, but also used his intuitive and creative mind and the minds and engineering gifts of his father and brother "Red," to develop and manufacture a “Cattle Catch Gate”, which grew into a business entity all its own. Bill was always striving to make the tasks of the farm operations more efficient and easy. His creative and inventive thinking was a wonderful gift that eased the chores of not only his farm duties, but also the tasks of countless others over the years. His works were even recognized in the publication Hog Farm Management.

Bill’s number one focus in life was providing for the necessities and wishes of his wife and children. He was a man who loved not only the land, but also enjoyed being in the presence of many family and friends. He loved the outdoors and had pursued many favorite past times over his life journey. In early years he enjoyed the challenge and excitement of a fox hunt after the land was coated in a fresh snow. He was an avid trapshooter in his younger years participating on numerous teams and at individual shooting events and was known to be quite good at the sport of shooting. Bill had done most of his own reloading of ammunition. One of his favorite recreational activities was fishing. He loved going on fishing trips to Winnebegosh Lake and taking his wife and family on excursions to the family cabin at Leach Lake. He absolutely loved to host family and friends as their friendly guide. Of course his fishing boat was something he took great pride in. He also enjoyed ice fishing outings. Bill and Marjorie were well known in the Walker, Minn., region for their years of operating garage sales at their property there. The business had even led Bill to construct a building just for this hobby-business. Bill loved to take a trip to the casino and was truly passionate about a good competitive game of cards with his family or his buddies. Bill was very proficient at the game of 500.

Bill will be remembered by those who had the privilege of crossing in his life pathway for a man who was very self-educated, friendly to both friend and stranger, and a man who took great pride in his family and his farming. His memory will continue to live on in the hearts and minds of his daughter, Sonja Sheriff, of Columbia Heights, Minn.; sons, Dennis Sheriff, of Goodell, and Mike Sheriff and wife Julie, of Flower Mound, Texas; his brother, Ronald “Red” Sheriff and wife, Marge “Mag”, of Belmond, and half-brother, Robert Sheriff and wife Betty, of Belmond; a half-sister, Beverly Sheriff Harris and husband, Harvey, of Herndon, Va.; brothers-in-law, Wayne Lein and wife Jean, of Belmond, Kenneth Lein, of Walker, Minn., and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Marjorie in April 1996; his mother, Frieda, and step-mother, Dorothy Sheriff Brede; a son, Ronald Sheriff; and a sister, Arlene Sheriff Young. Andrews Funeral Home.