A Funeral Service for Willaim M. Meyers of Mountain Home, Arkansas, will be 2:00 pm, Wednesday, July 29, 2015, at Kirby & Family Funeral Home, with Reverend Linda Dabney officiating.
William M. “Bill” Meyers of Mountain Home died Wednesday, July 22, 2015. He was born Feb. 27, 1925 in Carroll, Iowa to Henry E. and Hazel L. Lusk Meyers. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marion, his parents, and a sister, Jo Adele. He is survived by two daughters, Judi Adele Pero of Las Vegas, NV, and Janet Louise Vandeschalie of Big Rapids, MI. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Kelley, Gregory and Jannell Adele Pero and Loren and Kevin Vandeschalie, three great-grandchildren and many friends.
Bill graduated from high school in Hattie, Iowa in 1943. Upon graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves. He was then employed as a dairy plant supervisor until his military recall. Later he attended and graduated from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa in 1948. After graduation he moved to Chicago, Illinois but in 1950 he was recalled into the military and served in the U.S. Air Force as a cryptographer after attending school at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illionis. In 1951 Bill married Marion Rivette at Pawnee, Nebraska and was later sent to Kansas City, Missouri by the Air Force where he was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 1951. During his military career, Bill served in the South Pacific during World War II in 1944-1945. After his discharge Bill and Marion moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he was employed by Mobil Oil. He was later transferred to Milwaukee, Wisconsin but soon accepted employment with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel newspaper where he worked for nine and a half years as an operations supervisor. He left that employment to become an independent sales representative. Bill and Marion retired and moved to Mountain Home in 1990.
Bill was a member of the Elks and American Legion. But, he spent most of his time as a Master Mason being very active with his Masonic Lodges. He was a member of Robert Burns Lodge of Gainesville, Missouri upon his passing. He was a Thirty-Second Degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Shriner and member of the Legion of Honor, the veterans unit of the Shrine. Bill spent a great deal of his time helping organize the annual Shrine Circus put on by the Twin Lakes Shrine Club. He also served as President of the Shrine Club and was a past Commander of the Legion of Honor unit. In 2010 Bill was promoted by the Legion of Honor to the rank of honorary General of the Unit. He received this recognition for his many years of service to the Legion of Honor.
Masonic service will be by Robert Burns Masonic Lodge. All Shriners attending are asked to wear their fez. Legion of Honor Members may wear their uniform.
Military honors will be presented by American Legion Post #52, of Mountain Home and the United States Air Force.
Arrangements are by Kirby and Family Funeral and Cremation Services. Visit an online obituary and guestbook at
www.kirbyandfamily.com
.