Gertin Edwin Ness was born in Washburn, North Dakota. His parents were Martin Ness and his wife, the former Ida Washburn, a descendant of the late Wisconsin Governor Cadwallader Colden Washburn. His siblings were Barbara, Carl, June, and Ben.
Bill went into the Merchant Marines, then the U.S. Army Air Corps as a weather observer. He wanted to be a pilot, but because he was color blind, couldn't qualify. He was stationed in Santa Maria, California, at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) where he met Mary Celeste Santos. Bill and Mary Celeste went to Butte-Silver Bow, Montana where they were married on October 6, 1946. They returned to California and settled in Norwalk. The following year they had a baby, Gertina Marie Ness. In 1948 they had a daughter June, and in 1949 their son Edwin Gertin Ness was born.
They bought their own home in the new Los Angeles suburb of Norwalk in 1952 and had a happy life as a family. Bill worked for many years for the Purex Company, mainly on the graveyard shift. The family was never short of laundry detergent or bleach. Bill was a quiet and loving husband and father. He loved watching westerns on TV and was a huge fan of "Gunsmoke". The Ness house in Norwalk was the location of numerous Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations with aunts, uncles, and cousins over the years. Tragically, in 1967 Celeste died of cancer when the children were just fresh out of high school.
Bill was a single man for the next 10 years until he met, fell in love, and married his beloved wife Donna. Eventually they would move to Bryan, Texas to be closer to his 2 daughters, who made that city their home. Bill eventually retired.
He loved reading, was a member of the P.C. Club and was a long-time and superb chess player. He enjoyed his bible study classes and was a member of Grace Bible Church.
Bill was 83 when he shared Thanksgiving dinner with Donna on November 24, 2011. The next day he took a nap and passed away peacefully.
A graveside service with full military honors was held on Tuesday, November 29, at Reliance Baptist Cemetery, followed by a memorial service, which was held at Grace Bible Church in College Station, Texas. Hillier Funeral Home was entrusted to his care.
He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Tina MacArthur; and daughter-in-law, Dorothy Ness. He was survived by his wife, Donna Ness; his son, Eddie Ness; his daughter, June Hancock; his son-in-law, Jim MacArthur; seven grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends.
His grand-daughter Marcella MacArthur sponsored Bill's memorial.
Bill went into the Merchant Marines, then the U.S. Army Air Corps as a weather observer. He wanted to be a pilot, but because he was color blind, couldn't qualify. He was stationed in Santa Maria, California, at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) where he met Mary Celeste Santos. Bill and Mary Celeste went to Butte-Silver Bow, Montana where they were married on October 6, 1946. They returned to California and settled in Norwalk. The following year they had a baby, Gertina Marie Ness. In 1948 they had a daughter June, and in 1949 their son Edwin Gertin Ness was born.
They bought their own home in the new Los Angeles suburb of Norwalk in 1952 and had a happy life as a family. Bill worked for many years for the Purex Company, mainly on the graveyard shift. The family was never short of laundry detergent or bleach. Bill was a quiet and loving husband and father. He loved watching westerns on TV and was a huge fan of "Gunsmoke". The Ness house in Norwalk was the location of numerous Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations with aunts, uncles, and cousins over the years. Tragically, in 1967 Celeste died of cancer when the children were just fresh out of high school.
Bill was a single man for the next 10 years until he met, fell in love, and married his beloved wife Donna. Eventually they would move to Bryan, Texas to be closer to his 2 daughters, who made that city their home. Bill eventually retired.
He loved reading, was a member of the P.C. Club and was a long-time and superb chess player. He enjoyed his bible study classes and was a member of Grace Bible Church.
Bill was 83 when he shared Thanksgiving dinner with Donna on November 24, 2011. The next day he took a nap and passed away peacefully.
A graveside service with full military honors was held on Tuesday, November 29, at Reliance Baptist Cemetery, followed by a memorial service, which was held at Grace Bible Church in College Station, Texas. Hillier Funeral Home was entrusted to his care.
He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Tina MacArthur; and daughter-in-law, Dorothy Ness. He was survived by his wife, Donna Ness; his son, Eddie Ness; his daughter, June Hancock; his son-in-law, Jim MacArthur; seven grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends.
His grand-daughter Marcella MacArthur sponsored Bill's memorial.
Gertin Edwin Ness was born in Washburn, North Dakota. His parents were Martin Ness and his wife, the former Ida Washburn, a descendant of the late Wisconsin Governor Cadwallader Colden Washburn. His siblings were Barbara, Carl, June, and Ben.
Bill went into the Merchant Marines, then the U.S. Army Air Corps as a weather observer. He wanted to be a pilot, but because he was color blind, couldn't qualify. He was stationed in Santa Maria, California, at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) where he met Mary Celeste Santos. Bill and Mary Celeste went to Butte-Silver Bow, Montana where they were married on October 6, 1946. They returned to California and settled in Norwalk. The following year they had a baby, Gertina Marie Ness. In 1948 they had a daughter June, and in 1949 their son Edwin Gertin Ness was born.
They bought their own home in the new Los Angeles suburb of Norwalk in 1952 and had a happy life as a family. Bill worked for many years for the Purex Company, mainly on the graveyard shift. The family was never short of laundry detergent or bleach. Bill was a quiet and loving husband and father. He loved watching westerns on TV and was a huge fan of "Gunsmoke". The Ness house in Norwalk was the location of numerous Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations with aunts, uncles, and cousins over the years. Tragically, in 1967 Celeste died of cancer when the children were just fresh out of high school.
Bill was a single man for the next 10 years until he met, fell in love, and married his beloved wife Donna. Eventually they would move to Bryan, Texas to be closer to his 2 daughters, who made that city their home. Bill eventually retired.
He loved reading, was a member of the P.C. Club and was a long-time and superb chess player. He enjoyed his bible study classes and was a member of Grace Bible Church.
Bill was 83 when he shared Thanksgiving dinner with Donna on November 24, 2011. The next day he took a nap and passed away peacefully.
A graveside service with full military honors was held on Tuesday, November 29, at Reliance Baptist Cemetery, followed by a memorial service, which was held at Grace Bible Church in College Station, Texas. Hillier Funeral Home was entrusted to his care.
He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Tina MacArthur; and daughter-in-law, Dorothy Ness. He was survived by his wife, Donna Ness; his son, Eddie Ness; his daughter, June Hancock; his son-in-law, Jim MacArthur; seven grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends.
His grand-daughter Marcella MacArthur sponsored Bill's memorial.
Bill went into the Merchant Marines, then the U.S. Army Air Corps as a weather observer. He wanted to be a pilot, but because he was color blind, couldn't qualify. He was stationed in Santa Maria, California, at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) where he met Mary Celeste Santos. Bill and Mary Celeste went to Butte-Silver Bow, Montana where they were married on October 6, 1946. They returned to California and settled in Norwalk. The following year they had a baby, Gertina Marie Ness. In 1948 they had a daughter June, and in 1949 their son Edwin Gertin Ness was born.
They bought their own home in the new Los Angeles suburb of Norwalk in 1952 and had a happy life as a family. Bill worked for many years for the Purex Company, mainly on the graveyard shift. The family was never short of laundry detergent or bleach. Bill was a quiet and loving husband and father. He loved watching westerns on TV and was a huge fan of "Gunsmoke". The Ness house in Norwalk was the location of numerous Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations with aunts, uncles, and cousins over the years. Tragically, in 1967 Celeste died of cancer when the children were just fresh out of high school.
Bill was a single man for the next 10 years until he met, fell in love, and married his beloved wife Donna. Eventually they would move to Bryan, Texas to be closer to his 2 daughters, who made that city their home. Bill eventually retired.
He loved reading, was a member of the P.C. Club and was a long-time and superb chess player. He enjoyed his bible study classes and was a member of Grace Bible Church.
Bill was 83 when he shared Thanksgiving dinner with Donna on November 24, 2011. The next day he took a nap and passed away peacefully.
A graveside service with full military honors was held on Tuesday, November 29, at Reliance Baptist Cemetery, followed by a memorial service, which was held at Grace Bible Church in College Station, Texas. Hillier Funeral Home was entrusted to his care.
He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Tina MacArthur; and daughter-in-law, Dorothy Ness. He was survived by his wife, Donna Ness; his son, Eddie Ness; his daughter, June Hancock; his son-in-law, Jim MacArthur; seven grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends.
His grand-daughter Marcella MacArthur sponsored Bill's memorial.
