Obit: Appleyard, William H. (1935 - 2013)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Appleyard, Thoma, Hasse, Gilbertson, Tillung, Hickithier, Taft, Powers

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/06/2013

Appleyard, William H. (29 September 1935 - 28 February 2013)

William H. Appleyard, 77, of Rice Lake was received into the arms of the Lord, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, at Luther Hospital in Eau Claire, surrounded by his children.

William was born Sept. 29, 1935, to Fred and Lillian (Thoma) Appleyard at Neillsville. He was married to Patricia Hasse June 8, 1963, in Eau Claire. They resided in Milwaukee and later Wauwatosa where he was employed at the Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home. They moved to Rice Lake in 1968 where he worked for the Mason Funeral Home until 1976 when they established Appleyard’s Home for Funerals, which they operated until Patti’s death, yet he continued to serve his families until his death. Bill was very devoted to his family and loved life and people, especially those he served over the years.

Listed are the organizations, activities and events that Bill Appleyard had been involved with:

He was active in funeral service for 45 years.

He owned and operated Appleyard’s Home for Funerals for over 30 years.

He was a member of National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association (WFDA) and Federated Funeral Directors of America (FFDA).

Past member of the WFDA Board of Directors; Past President of the Rice Lake Kiwanis Club and a member for over 40 years and was also a member of the Golden “K”; A member of the Rice Lake Chamber of Commerce for over 30 years, serving as a board member for several years; Served as co-chairman with Harold Taft for the American Cancer Society as well as the united Way for a number of years; Served on the Barron County Board of Supervisors for two terms; Served on the Lakeview Medical Center Board of Directors for 24 years; A member of the Rice Lake American Legion Post for 38 years and a charter member of the AM Vets; A member of the Loyal Order of the Moose for 35 years; presently a member of the Rice Lake Elk’s Lodge for 35 years; Presently a board member of the northern Star Theatre and a board member at WITC.

Organized the “Freedom Celebration,” day-long event in Rice Lake; honoring the World War II veterans Nov. 11, 2000, as a kick-off fundraiser for the World War II Memorial in Washington, D. C.; Organized “Our Community Remembers” program held Sept. 11, 2002, honoring all who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001; Organized the World War II Veterans Reunion on Memorial Day 2004 at the National Guard Armory in Rice Lake to celebrate the completion of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D. C.

Proposed and organized the fundraising and construction of a new Veterans Memorial in Rice Lake, which was completed and dedicated Memorial Day 2005; Organized the Memorial Day event for Memorial Day 2006 to dedicate the kneeling Soldier Statue at the Veterans Memorial; Organized a Memorial Day event in 2008 for the dedication of a World War I and World War II monument recognizing the local veterans of the “Red Arrow Division” of those wars; Received Citizen of the Year Award in 2005 from the Chamber of Commerce; Received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Rice Lake Rotary Club.

Bill Appleyard is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, kent and Lesley Appleyard of Madison; two daughters and sons-in-law, Kimberly and Boyd Gilbertson of Rice Lake and Krista and Jon Tillung of Rice Lake; four grandchildren, Kailey and Evan Tillung and Ashley and Megan Gilbertson; three brothers and four sisters-in-law, Leland and Mart Appleyard of Sparta, Dale Appleyard of Denver, CO, Larry and Eileen Appleyard of Locust Grove, VA, and Margery Appleyard of Neillsville; a sister, Marian Hickithier of Minneapolis, MN; and by other relatives and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Appleyard; parents, Fred and Lillian Appleyard; a brother, Melvin Appleyard; brother-in-law, Truman; and sister-in-law, Elvira.

A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rice Lake. Fr. James Powers will officiate, with interment in the St. Joseph Cemetery, where military rites will be accorded by the Rice Lake Veterans Center Honor Guard. Visitation was held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, at Appleyard’s Home for Funerals and will also be held for one hour prior to the service at the church.