William August Gross' Obituary
William August Gross, 86, of Mt. Zion, IL, passed away Wednesday, December 3, 2014, in St. Mary’s Hospital.
William was born March 11, 1928 in Decatur, IL, the son of Oscar H. and Lucia Ruth (Deel) Gross. He proudly served his country in the United States Marines. He graduated from Millikin University in 1953, and was an engineer at Caterpillar for 35 years. He was a faithful member of Faith Baptist Church in Decatur.
William will always be remembered as a jack-of-all-trades and for his kindness as he helped and fixed things for the church and for other people. He was a handyman who loved working in the garage and in the shop. His other passions include gardening, collecting coins, and collecting miniature Caterpillar toys. Family was important in William’s life and something that he truly cherished. He would travel with his grandchildren, and have overnight trips around Illinois and the Midwest with them. William married Patty Jean Cameron on June 4, 1955, in Decatur, IL. They shared 59 wonderful years of their lives together. He will be missed.
William leaves behind his wife, Patty; daughters, Lee Ann (Lee) Galaway of Mansfield, IL; Lynne (Bradford) Kickle of Mt. Zion, IL; and four grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and his sister Betty White.
Services to celebrate William’s life will be 1 p.m. Tuesday, December 9, 2014 in Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Monday, December 8, 2014 at the funeral home. Burial will be in Fairlawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials in memory of William may be made to the Faith Baptist Church Missionaries.
The family of William August Gross is being served by Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home, 2091 N. Oakland Avenue, Decatur, IL. View the on line obituary and send condolences to the family at www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
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