Hester, William Ambrose

William Ambrose Hester, of North English and 2238 Palmer Circle in Iowa City, died April 23, 2010, at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City at 10:34 p.m. from an aneurysm. Funeral Mass will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 26, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, North English. Father Joseph Roost will preside. Burial will be in North English Cemetery. Visitation will be today from 3 to 6 p.m., with a prayer service at 5 p.m., at Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in North English.

Bill was born April 30, 1922, in Emmetsburg, Iowa, to Ambrose and Teresa (McGinty) Hester. He was the seventh child of nine. The Hester family moved to Cedar Rapids during the depression and Bill lived there until his 20s. Bill volunteered for the Navy at the onset of World War II and served three years. Before he shipped out, he met and married Mary Barron, a nurse from Fort Madison, on April 9, 1942, in Cedar Rapids. Upon his return, Bill and Mary made their home in North English, where they lived for 65 years and raised six children. Bill and Mary were married for 68 years.

Bill and brother Michael “MJ” and then friend Benny Osweiler established a farm and feed service on Main Street in North English after moving into town. Called Hester Farm Service, they ran the company for five years. Bill then worked 30 years for Cargill/Nutrena Feeds as a territorial sales representative, semiretired and worked as a car salesman for B&B Motors in Belle Plaine.

Bill volunteered and dedicated much of his adult life to the Arc and served as national president for that organization. He also served on the City Council for the town of North English. He joked about, lived and loved being a Democrat his entire life.

Bill is survived by his wife, Mary, of 68 years, who now resides with her daughter in Iowa City. He is also survived by four of his children, 11 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. His surviving children include Terry (Sharon) of Fort Myers, Fla., and Davenport, Iowa and their son, Greg (Denise) of Bettendorf; John (Linda) of Lone Tree and their children, Angie of Lone Tree, Shelly Martin (Ron A.) of West Liberty, Jody (Dave R.) of Bozeman, Mont., and Kelly Howell (Rick) of Solon; Bill and Mary's special daughter, Sandy of North English; Jim (Candy) of Des Moines and their children, Phil (Chris) and Steve (Stacy) of North English, Laura Stallman (Ray) of Amana and Brian (Marsha) of Conroy; and Rosemary Adam of Iowa City and her children, Amy (Dave) Johnson of North Liberty and Christopher (Amanda) Fry of Conroy.

He was preceded in death by his parents and all but one of his siblings; two of his children, Francis and Tommy; and one granddaughter, Tracy (Hester) Weisrock.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for Iowa City Systems Unlimited.

Messages and tributes may be left at under obituaries.