"Having just met Bill in November at Pleasant View Mennonite Church he was such a king, smiling man and loved to tease. You will be so missed Bill. "
In loving memory of
William P Weiershauser
July 7, 1947 - July 18, 2019
WILLIAM WEIERSHAUSER
MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa - William 'Bill' P. Weiershauser, 72, formerly of Muscatine, passed away on Thursday, July 18, 2019 at Savannah Heights in Mount Pleasant.
A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 in Greenwood Cemetery in Muscatine. Reverend Bruce Martin will officiate. The Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Online Condolences: www.wittichfuneralhome.com.
Bill was born on July 7, 1947, the son of Robert P. and Helen J. West Weiershauser.
Bill grew up in the Calvary Baptist Church in Muscatine. In Mount Pleasant, he attended Pleasant View Mennonite Church where he served as pianist and led "Faith and Film" forums.
Bill is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force in which he served from 1969-1975. His military service in Vietnam drew on his formidable linguistic skills. He served in a specialized unit in Saigon, teaching English to the South Vietnamese, including members of the military.
Bill attended Muscatine Community College and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in English from the University of Iowa. He continued with Ph.D. level work at the University of Iowa which he completed with the exception of writing a dissertation. He had a great love for older forms of English, French, and Welsh, and translated many poems from these languages.
In 1982, Bill began teaching English at Iowa Wesleyan University where he was promoted to Associate Professor of English. He was a kind man, a devoted teacher, and an engaged, intellectually curious colleague. He is remembered fondly by many students. He taught the freshman course Foundations of English, as well as film studies, and older English literature such as Beowulf and Chaucer. He served as the faculty advisor for the English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta, and contributed numerous photographs and poems he had translated that were published in the university's literary magazine, Design. When he retired in 2013, the university granted him Emeritus status for his thirty-one years of distinguished service.
Bill had a robust interest in film and film history. He amassed a large collection of films in reel-to-reel format, as well as VHS tapes, and more recently DVDs. He also collected vintage film projectors and slide projectors. From time to time, he presented programs in the community about film.
He is preceded in death by his parents.
Tributes
"RIP FOR BILL! GREAT LIFE, YOU HAVE DONE WELL"
"Bill was a kind and gentle man with such an abundance of talent. A life well lived."
"Bill was always so kind and polite. A true gentleman"
"It has been many years since I last saw Bill. He was always a gentleman. My deepest sympathy."