WILLARD W. PERCIFIELD
WILLARD W. PERCIFIELD WAS BORN JUNE 24, 1934 IN AVA, MISSOURI, TO BLEVINS AND FAYE PERCIFIELD.
AS A CHILD WILLARD ATTENDED THE ANCHOR SCHOOL IN DOUGLAS COUNTY MISSOURI. LATER HE ATTENDED SCHOOL IN PROTECTION, KS. WHERE HE HELPED HIS UNCLE IN WHEAT HARVEST. AFTER LEAVING KANSAS, HE MOVED TO EXETER, CA. WHERE HE WORKED AS A MIGRANT WORKER PICKING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
AT THE AGE OF 20 HE RETURNED TO AVA WHERE HE MET BONNIE MAE SARTOR. THEY WERE MARRIED DECEMBER 31, 1955 IN MOUNT GROVE, MISSOURI. FROM THIS UNION THEY HAD SIX CHILDREN, TWO DAUGHTERS, BRENDA AND GLENDA AND FOUR SONS, DALE, RANDY, KEVIN AND KENNETH.
WILLARD ENJOYED A VARIETY OF OCCUPATIONS THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, FORM CARPENTRY TO FARMING, TRUCK DRIVING TO OWNING HIS OWN BUSINESSES. WILLARD AND BONNIE LIVED IN DIAGONAL, IOWA FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE MOVING TO ALLENDALE, MISSOURI. THEY DIVORCED IN 1980.
ON DECEMBER 9, 1982, WILLARD MARRIED KATHY DEHART OF GRANT CITY, MO. AFTER SPENDING A SHORT TIME IN ALLENDALE, WILLARD AND KATHY MOVED TO SILVIS, ILLINOIS WHERE THEY LIVED FOR TEN YEARS. THEY RETURNED TO GRANT CITY IN 1994 WHERE WILLARD SPENT THE REMAINDER OF HIS LIFE.
WILLARD PERCIFIELD DIED WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2008, AT MERCY MEDICAL CENTER IN DES MOINES, IOWA AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH LUNG DISEASE.
HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS FATHER, BLEVINS QUINTINE PERCIFIELD; MOTHER, ETHEL FAYE PAYNE; SISTER, EMMA JEAN EVANS AND BROTHER, HAROLD RICHARD PERCIFIELD JR.
SURVIVING HIM IN DEATH ARE SIX CHILDREN AND THEIR SPOUSES, BRENDA AND GARY SMITH OF DIAGONAL, IOWA; DALE PERCIFIELD OF ALLENDALE, MO.; GLENDA AND PAT SCHWIENEBART OF NEWTON, IOWA; RANDY AND CINDY PERCIFIELD, OF DELPHOS, IOWA; KEVIN AND LEANN PERCIFIELD OF REDDING, IOWA AND KENNETH AND STEPHANIE PERCIFIELD OF REDDING, IOWA; SISTERS, DELPHA MULVANIA OF AVA, MO., LOIS PERCIFIELD OF BETTENDORF, IOWA, PAULINE STOUT OF NORWOOD, MO., ELDEEN ROACH OF TINGLEY, IOWA, AND VIVIAN PERREAULT OF BETTENDORF, IOWA, BROTHER, JOHN PERCIFIELD OF DAVENPORT, IOWA; 20 GRANDCHILDREN, FOUR GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN AND MANY NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
WILLARD LOVED NOTHING BETTER THAN SPENDING TIME WITH HIS WIFE, KATHY, CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND HIS DOG, SUZIE. HIS FAMILY WILL ALWAYS CHERISH THE HELP AND ADVICE HE GAVE THEM ON THEIR MANY PROJECTS. HE WILL BE MISSED.
FUNERAL SERVICES WERE HELD TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2008, AT THE PRUGH-DUNFEE FUNERAL HOME IN GRANT CITY, MO., WITH PASTOR LEN GREEN OFFICIATING.
WILLARD WAS LAID TO REST IN THE KIRK CEMETERY AT ALLENDALE, MISSOURI.
MEMORIALS TO THE FAMILY CAN BE SENT TO PRUGH-DUNFEE FUNERAL HOME IN GRANT CITY, MO.
