After fighting several battles with cancer, Willard (Bill) James Gropel finally lost to the battle with the cancers in the liver on May 5th, 2014 at the Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Mn.
Bill was born in Marion South Dakota on January 25, 1942 at the home of Willard (Stein) Gropel and Phyllis (Grim) Gropel.
He spent the war years in Wichita where his father was employed at the Boeing plant working on B-29's.
He moved with his folks to Ivanhoe, Minnesota in 1946 and graduated from the Ivanhoe High School in 1960. He graduated from IBM School and worked in Omaha for 3 years before moving to Sioux Falls to join Western Surety in their IBM dept. for 7 years. Then on to Best Business Products for 3 years followed by 3 years of selling Face Brick for Sioux City Brick & Tile. He then secured a job "selling on the road" for Minnesota Paint Co. He was promoted to Brand Manager and transferred to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1977 until he retired in 1998 from "the now Valspar Paint Company".
It was on May 4, 1963 that he married Florence Guza, his High School Classmate. To this union 5 children were born. Lance, Dawn and Lee. Mark and Karey who passed within days of birth.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two baby infants.
Bill's Find A Grave page.
Bill was born in Marion South Dakota on January 25, 1942 at the home of Willard (Stein) Gropel and Phyllis (Grim) Gropel.
He spent the war years in Wichita where his father was employed at the Boeing plant working on B-29's.
He moved with his folks to Ivanhoe, Minnesota in 1946 and graduated from the Ivanhoe High School in 1960. He graduated from IBM School and worked in Omaha for 3 years before moving to Sioux Falls to join Western Surety in their IBM dept. for 7 years. Then on to Best Business Products for 3 years followed by 3 years of selling Face Brick for Sioux City Brick & Tile. He then secured a job "selling on the road" for Minnesota Paint Co. He was promoted to Brand Manager and transferred to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1977 until he retired in 1998 from "the now Valspar Paint Company".
It was on May 4, 1963 that he married Florence Guza, his High School Classmate. To this union 5 children were born. Lance, Dawn and Lee. Mark and Karey who passed within days of birth.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two baby infants.
Bill's Find A Grave page.
After fighting several battles with cancer, Willard (Bill) James Gropel finally lost to the battle with the cancers in the liver on May 5th, 2014 at the Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Mn.
Bill was born in Marion South Dakota on January 25, 1942 at the home of Willard (Stein) Gropel and Phyllis (Grim) Gropel.
He spent the war years in Wichita where his father was employed at the Boeing plant working on B-29's.
He moved with his folks to Ivanhoe, Minnesota in 1946 and graduated from the Ivanhoe High School in 1960. He graduated from IBM School and worked in Omaha for 3 years before moving to Sioux Falls to join Western Surety in their IBM dept. for 7 years. Then on to Best Business Products for 3 years followed by 3 years of selling Face Brick for Sioux City Brick & Tile. He then secured a job "selling on the road" for Minnesota Paint Co. He was promoted to Brand Manager and transferred to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1977 until he retired in 1998 from "the now Valspar Paint Company".
It was on May 4, 1963 that he married Florence Guza, his High School Classmate. To this union 5 children were born. Lance, Dawn and Lee. Mark and Karey who passed within days of birth.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two baby infants.
Bill's Find A Grave page.
Bill was born in Marion South Dakota on January 25, 1942 at the home of Willard (Stein) Gropel and Phyllis (Grim) Gropel.
He spent the war years in Wichita where his father was employed at the Boeing plant working on B-29's.
He moved with his folks to Ivanhoe, Minnesota in 1946 and graduated from the Ivanhoe High School in 1960. He graduated from IBM School and worked in Omaha for 3 years before moving to Sioux Falls to join Western Surety in their IBM dept. for 7 years. Then on to Best Business Products for 3 years followed by 3 years of selling Face Brick for Sioux City Brick & Tile. He then secured a job "selling on the road" for Minnesota Paint Co. He was promoted to Brand Manager and transferred to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1977 until he retired in 1998 from "the now Valspar Paint Company".
It was on May 4, 1963 that he married Florence Guza, his High School Classmate. To this union 5 children were born. Lance, Dawn and Lee. Mark and Karey who passed within days of birth.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two baby infants.
Bill's Find A Grave page.
