Billy (Bill) Fields

BILLY B. FIELDS (BILL)

Oxford Junction

Billy B. Fields (Bill) died peacefully at his home in rural Oxford Junction on the morning of April 2, 2016, after a year-long battle with lung cancer. Bill was 74 years old. A visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday April 7, at Union Presbyterian Church in Lost Nation. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the church. Lahey Funeral Home will be assisting the family at this time.

Bill was born Feb. 6, 1942, to Meryl and Eleanor Starr Fields, the fourth of seven children. After graduating from Oxford Junction High School in 1960, he joined the Army National Guard and served for six years before being honorably discharged in 1966. Bill started working at Iowa Manufacturing as a welder in 1967 and was employed for 38 years until retirement in 2004. In the fall of 1977, Bill moved his family back to the Fields Family Heritage Farm in rural Oxford Junction. Bill spent much of his "retirement" pursuing his passions of farming, traveling, planting trees, making sorghum and spending time with his family. Bill also loved to catch fish, find mushrooms and hunt deer at the family timber.

Bill was a 50-year veteran of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and a proud member of the National Sweet Sorghum Producers and Processors Association.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include Bill's wife, Elinor Harris Fields; his six siblings, Margaret Fields, Meryl Fields, Sondra Cantrell, Allen Fields, Karen Griffin and Gregory Fields; his five children, Jeffery Fields, Thomas Fields, Chad Fields, Renee Fields-Hu and Margaret Bousselot; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Dr. Nabi from Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids for her care and advice during Bill's battle with cancer.

All donations will go toward the Lost Nation Food Pantry and maintenance of the Smithtown Church.

Online condolences may be left at www.laheys.com.