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William R. "Bill" Stoneof Wall, South Dakota, died on Tuesday, March 31, 2015
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William Robert "Bill" Stone was born Jan. 5, 1923, in Des Moines, IA, the only child of Evans W. and Dorothy Grace (Cole) Stone.
He and his mother lived in Los Angeles, CA, then came back to White Owl, Enning, Sturgis, Wasta, and Rapid City. Bill graduated from Rapid City High School. While attending high school, he worked at Swanders Bakery.
On Sept. 9, 1942, he married his high school sweetheart, Sylvia Davis, whom he met as a sophomore in Wasta.
Bill served in the U.S. Navy during WW II in the Pacific theater aboard the USS Kingman, an amphibious ship designed for the invasion of Japan. His was one of the early ships into Nagasaki Harbor after the city was destroyed by the atomic bomb, ending the Pacific war. He earned the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp.
Bill and Sylvia entered the cattle business in 1943, and owned cattle for 46 years. They had a ranch located 40 miles north of Wall at the site of old Pedro, SD, on the Cheyenne River. They successfully operated this ranch for 30 years. Bill’s weakened heart condition caused them to sell the ranch in 1989. Sylvia continues to own cattle in her own name.
Bill was President of the League of S.D. Taxpayers for 8 years and a member of the board of the Rural Pennington County Taxpayers Assoc. for as long as it existed. He was appointed by Governor Frank Farrar to the State Board of Equalization in the 1970's and served as Chairman his last year on the Board.
He is survived by his wife, Sylvia; and four children, John Ralph (Linda) of Rapid City, Susan Marie Robinson (Paul) of Chamberlain, Guy Evans of Yankton, and David Luke (Virginia) of Spearfish; daughter-in-law, Louise of Lincoln, NE; 10 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Bill was preceded in death by his father in 1949; his mother in 1973; his son, Dr. William R. Stone Jr. in 2014; and a daughter-in-law, Peggy in 2015.
Bill was a born again Christian and firmly believed a civilized society was totally dependent upon the fundamentals of Christianity.
Services were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 4, at the United Methodist Church in Wall. Lunch will follow. Burial followed at Rose Cemetery north of Wall.
FUNERAL SERVICES
Saturday, April 4, 2015 - 10:00 a.m.
United Methodist Church
Wall, South Dakota
CLERGY
Pastor John McKnight
MUSIC
Dorothy Shearer - Organist
Linda Eisenbraun - Vocalist
“I’ll Fly Away”
“Safe in the Arms of Jesus”
Congregational Hymn
“The Old Rugged Cross”
USHER
Bill Leonard
HONORARY PALLBEARERS
All Relatives and Friends in Attendance
INTERMENT WITH MILITARY HONORS
Rose Cemetery
Dowling, South Dakota