Dr. William Burl Roudybush

DR. WILLIAM ROUDYBUSH MUSCATINE, Iowa - Dr. William Burl Roudybush, 92, of Muscatine, went to be with our heavenly Father, on Thursday, March 24, 2011, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Funeral Service will be 1:30 p.m. on Monday, March 28, 2011, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 400 Iowa Avenue. Dr. Hal Greene will officiate the service. Casket bearers will be Kevin Burns, John Stafford, William 'Bill' Stafford, Andrew Kellett, Shane Williams, Lucas Haldeman, Sam Paul and Dave Coy. Burial will take place in Memorial Park Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the combined squads of the American Legion Post No. 27, and the V.F. W. Post 1565. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 27, 2011, at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home, and from 10 a.m. until 12 noon on Monday, March 28, 2011, at the church. Memorials may be made to Wesley Family Life Center or the Salvation Army. Dr. William Burl Roudybush and his identical twin, John Earl, were born on November 12, 1918, in rural Diagonal, Iowa, the sons of John and Madge Goodale Roudybush. As a child of the great depression he helped put food on the family table ...[more]

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working for 25 cents a day. He went on to work as a farm hand; in a canning factory; a dairy; and as a Methodist Minister. He married Ruth Veldhuizen on April 2, 1941, in Granite City, Missouri. She preceded him in death in 1994. He was a US Army veteran having served during the height of World War II, on the European front. He participated in the allied takeover of the Ludendorf Bridge at Remagen and also fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He attended Central College in Pella, graduated from Parsons College in 1947, and from the University of Iowa in 1953 with a Doctor of Medicine Degree. He served as a general practitioner and surgeon in Muscatine from July 1, 1954 until October 31, 1988, where he delivered over 3000 babies. William loved to play checkers and continued to defeat those over fifty years his junior. He also enjoyed playing any card game, and spending time with his family and friends, especially his grandchildren. His retirement years were spent farming with his son until age 90. Those left to honor his memory include one son, Leland Roudybush and wife, Mary, of Muscatine; five daughters, Joann Ballenger and husband, Eldon, of Muscatine, Dorothy J. Burns and husband, Jack, of Muscatine, Laura Walton and husband, Rick, of Iowa City, Carol Kellett and husband, Dwaine, of Aledo, Illinois, and Shirley Petersen and husband, Dan, of Muscatine; 12 grandchildren, Beth Spaulding, John Stafford, William 'Bill' Stafford, Kevin and Jenna Burns, Sarah Roudybush Haldeman, Natalie and Shane Williams, Andrew Kellett, Jennifer Wolfe, Lisa Paul, and Jill Coy; 14 great-grandchildren; one great great-granddaughter; several step-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; his twin brother, John Earl; one sister, Ruth Haley; one daughter, Diane; and one grandson, Eric Petersen.