William D. "Bill" Bronson

William D. “Bill” Bronson, 90, of Ottawa, Kansas, passed away Sunday, February 14, 2016, at Ransom Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, February 20, 2016, at Dengel & Son Mortuary. Family will meet with friends one hour prior to service. Interment will follow at Princeton Cemetery, Princeton, Kansas, with military honors by the United States Navy. Bill was born Tuesday, January 26, 1926, in rural Osage County, Kansas, the son of Allen and Mignon (Skidmore) Bronson. He lived in Princeton, Kansas, for thirty-five years, moving in 2001 to Ottawa. He graduated from Lyndon High School with the class of 1944. Bill served in the United States Navy during World War II from May 1944 to June 1946 aboard the USS Burleigh (APA-95). He served in the Navy again from November 1948 to July 1950 aboard the USS Arneb (AKA-56). Bill was united in marriage with Gloria Lantz. She preceded him in death. He later married Roberta “Bobbie” New October 16, 1975, in Garnett, Kansas. She survives of the home. Other survivors include his daughter, Lee Ann Shire of Topeka, Kansas; three step children, Janice Coombes and husband James of Ottawa, Alan Welch and wife Jennifer of Holt, Missouri, and John Donart and wife Lisa of Shawnee; fifteen grandchildren; twenty-two great grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Alice Bronson of Odessa, Missouri. He was preceded in death by his son, Melvin “Butch” Bronson; daughter, Deanna “Dee” Garcia; parents, Allen and Mignon Bronson; and brothers, Marvin “Mike” Bronson, Milton “Jim” Bronson, and John “Jack” Bronson. Bill was a self-employed carpenter for much of his life. He owned and operated Bronson Construction and Ye-Old Fixit Shoppe, a furniture repair business, both of Princeton. He also worked for R.W.D. No. 6, as the water plant manager, for 10 years. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Post 5901 and the Warren Black Post 60 American Legion. Bill served 4 terms as the mayor of Princeton and was on the Princeton Cemetery board for 25 years; he also mowed and maintained the cemetery. He was also the Princeton Fire Chief and ran the Princeton water department. Bill was a jack-of-all-trades. He helped many people with repairs, was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, and had the art of doing his own taxidermy work. He also enjoyed gardening, growing fruit trees, rabbitry, and raising chickens, canning and preserving the produce in his own root cellar. The family suggests memorial contributions to Alzheimer’s Association c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067. Family and friends are encouraged to post their condolences and memories on Bill’s Tribute Wall at www.dengelmortuary.com