William Livingood

William Clifford “Bill” Livingood, 91, of New Hampton died Thursday, January 10, 2013. Funeral Services were held Sunday, January 13 at the Community Presbyterian Church, Postville.
He was the son of Cecil and Amanda (Beisker) Livingood, born February 17, 1921 north of Lycurgus, French Creek Township, Allamakee County. He was baptized October 16, 1921 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville by Pastor Schmidt. He was confirmed at the Presbyterian Church in Waukon in 1933. He attended several rural Allamakee County schools and attended his freshman year of high school in Frankville. He graduated from Postville Public High School in 1938.
Bill studied radio and electronics by correspondence before going on to Madison, WI for further training. He then took a job in a paper box factory before joining the labor union and hiring on as a carpenter to help build a medical facility for the Armed Forces at Traux Airfield before entering the service. He joined the Army in October 1942 at Camp Dodge, Iowa, received basic training at Miami Beach, FL and was assigned to Technical School Squadron Basic Training Center for the Army Air Force, where he worked as an orderly room clerk, mail clerk and maintenance. He was also stationed in Lincoln, NE; Sheppard Field, TX; Lubbock, TX and Seattle, WA, where his unit was sent to the Hawaiian Islands to receive further training.
Upon leaving the island of Oahu they embarked for duty in the Pacific and were the first Army Air Force Unit to go ashore in Okinawa. They were known as the 593 Air Engineer Squadron, 389 Air Service Group. December 5, 1945 he returned to San Francisco and then to Fort Leonard Wood, MO, where he was honorably discharged January 20, 1946.
Bill was united in marriage to Roberta Ralston February 27, 1946 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. To this union five children were born. They farmed northwest of Postville for 30 years. The next 20 years he spent helping his son, Cyril, at his auto repair business. Upon retirement he moved to Southcrest at Waukon and in the last few years he lived in Fredericksburg and then in New Hampton.
Bill touched many lives wherever he went, especially around the Postville area. He was always ready to help or serve when needed or asked. He was a 50-plus year member of both the Arthur F. Brandt Legion Post and the Carleton E. Kenny Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. He held all of the offices of the VFW Post as well as several of the Districts over the years. He served as a member of the board of the Postville Senior Citizens organization and helped organize the Share Program in Postville. He served nine years as a member of the board of Winneshiek Mutual Insurance Company. He participated in many other community activities as well.
Bill was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle. He was his own mechanic, welder, electrician, carpenter and all-around handyman. He enjoyed fishing, wood carving, playing cards, a good joke, dancing, hunting mushrooms and, on occasion, one shot too many. He always enjoyed family reunions and gatherings.
Bill is survived by his two children, Phyllis Wickham of New Hampton and Cyril Livingood of Frankville; seven grandchildren, Frank Wickham of Ionia, Chad (Laura) Wickham of Minneapolis, MN, Mark (Melissa) Livingood of Aplington, Shawn (Sandy Ludwig) Rothmeyer of Casper, WY, Gloria Wickham of Waterloo, Tammy (Kody) Kottke of Fredericksburg and Cybrill (Matt) Burch of Bondurant; and a brother, Bernard (Betty) Livingood of Ridgeway.
Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Roberta, in 2011; his daughter, Nancy Rothmeyer, in 1976; twin infants, Marilyn and Marvin, in 1954; his parents; a son-in-law, Frank Wickham; a daughter-in-law, June Livingood; a grandson, Shane Rothmeyer; a granddaughter, Kendra Lee Wickham, in 1967; a brother, Gilbert Livingood; and a sister, Opal Kuhse.
Schutte-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service assisted the family with the arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.graufuneralhomes.com.