William "Bill" Miesenhelder

William “Bill” Miesenhelder, 93, of Robinson, IL, died at 4:40 p.m. on July 26, 2018 at Arbor Rose in Robinson, IL, surrounded by his family. He was born May 6, 1925 in Robinson, the son of Frank “Newt” Miesenhelder and Dorothy (Sutcliffe) Miesenhelder, both of whom preceded him in death. He married Caroline Anne Baker on July 10, 1949, and she preceded him in death on December 15, 1998. He was also preceded in death by his nephew, Steve Murray & wife Debbie Murray; and by his sister, Patricia Mason. He is survived by his niece, Pamela & husband Robert Hall (Robinson, IL); by his nephews & their families, Frank Baker (Carmel, IN), Brian Baker (Terre Haute, IN), and Clark Baker (Cloverdale, IL); as well as several great-nieces & great-nephews, locally by Amber & Jeff Wallace (Palestine, IL), Hayley & Shane Pica (Robinson, IL), and Brady Hall (Robinson, IL); by his great-great-nephew and great-great-niece, Liam Pica and Willah Pica; by his brother, Phillip & Marlene Miesenhelder (Morris, IL); and by his brother-in-law & sister-in-law, George & Marsha Baker (Robinson, IL). Bill grew up in the Palestine area, where he attended grade school and found a passion in basketball. He was a standout player at Robinson High School, where he graduated before enlisting in the Army Air Corps at the height of WWII. He proudly served his country as a ball turret gunner, flying 21 missions over Germany in a B-17 bomber before the war’s end. Back home, he attended the University of Illinois and Indiana State, where he majored in education. He would go on to work for Marathon Oil, where he worked all the way up from “goosing grass” to become the head of the Maintenance Department. Outside of work, Bill made a name for himself as a bowler, and was one of best around for decades. Upon his retirement in 1985, he took up golfing and played at the Quail Creek Country Club, where he was a member. He was also a lifetime member of the Robinson Elks and recently attended the Duncanville Baptist Church. Much of his free time was spent helping others. For years, he donated his time to the local food bank and also tutored at the library, helping numerous people earn their GEDs. His family, his community, and his country all owe a debt of gratitude to Bill Miesenhelder. A time of visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 1st at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 2nd at the funeral home with Albert “Butch” Woods officiating the service. Burial will be in the Robinson New Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Duncanville Baptist Church, with envelopes available at the funeral home.