William (Bill) Dean England
William (Bill) Dean England
William (Bill) Dean England, born November 17th, 1946, in Creston, IA to Lloyd Courtney and Evelyn Belle (Smith) England. Bill departed this life on March 18, 2024, at the Mount Ayr Health Care Center.
Bill, the youngest in his family, was welcomed home by siblings Robert, Doris, Jim, Myrna, and Larry on the family farm near Tingley. His roots in agriculture were deep, evident in his lifelong affection for farming, cherished red tractors, and beloved cows.
After attending school in Tingley and graduating from Mount Ayr High School in 1965, he married Doris Dukes, and from their union came Mary Jean in February 1966 and Kenneth William in June 1969. In July 1984, Bill married Lois Todd. To their union was brought Pamela Jo in September 1985 and Christina Elaine in March 1989.
Bill’s passions extended beyond the fields; he found delight in farm auctions, perusing through agricultural magazines, and later, in nurturing his garden. His pride in the kohlrabi he grew was unmistakable, as was his unexpected fondness for his feline companions in his later years.
Throughout his life, Bill called Afton and Creston home, with a brief time at the Homestead Assisted Living facility. In January 2020, declining health led him to the Mount Ayr Health Care Center, where he found comfort and care until his journey’s end.
In his passing, Bill rejoins his beloved parents, Lloyd and Evelyn, along with his siblings Jim, Robert and his wife Lois, Doris and her husband Curtis, and niece Sharene England Culp.
He is survived by his children: Mary Jean Esteban of Kansas City, MO; Kenny and wife Amanda England of New Orleans, LA; Pam and husband Wally Brokaw of Diagonal; and Christina and husband Jeremy Sobotka, also of Diagonal. His grandchildren, Courtney and Tyler Esteban, Treyton and Hayden Still, and Kendall and Rhett Sobotka. His siblings, Myrna and husband Steve Spurlock of Maryville, MO, and Larry and wife Joyce England of Mount Ayr, along with sister-in-law Marian Jennings and a host of nieces and nephews.
Bill’s life was a testament to the quiet joys of rural living, and the simple pleasures found in tending the land.
