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William Jewell 'Bill' Thorne
WILLIAM JEWELL "BILL" THORNE
Iowa City
William Jewell "Bill" Thorne, 89, died peacefully surrounded by his family on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 11, at St. Mark's United Methodist Church. A reception will follow the service. A family committal service will be held at Memory Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Mark's Church. The family request that masks be worn by all attendees.
Bill was born June 22, 1932, in Council Grove, Kan., the son of Milton and Bertie (Thomas) Thorne, Bill grew up in Savannah, Mo., and graduated from Brookfield (MO) High School. He received his Bachelor's degree from Central Methodist College and Master's degree from Northeast Missouri State University. Bill later received Guidance Counselor Training from Northwest Missouri State University.
He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1954 to 1957 and was a member of the U.S. Army Band. Bill married Janice Fankhauser on Aug. 16, 1957, in St. Joseph, Mo.
Bill taught music in Albany, Mo., for nine years. He and Janice moved to Iowa City in 1968. Bill was a counselor at Southeast Junior High School for 30 years, retiring in 1998.
He was a member of St. Mark's United Methodist Church, United Methodist Men and Johnson County Retired School Personnel Association. Bill volunteered at missions in New Mexico. He was a member of the Iowa City Evening Lion's Club and played with the New Horizons Band.
Survivors include his wife, Janice; their daughter, Susan Rasmussen (Craig Berry) of Jefferson, Iowa, and their son, Brian Thorne (Kathy) of Valencia, Calif.; daughter-in-law, Erin Thorne of Carlisle, Pa.; and nine grandchildren, Sarah, Chris, and Alex Rasmussen, Andrew (Sofia) Thorne, Tyler, Aubrie, Kaden, Connor and Trent Thorne.
Bill was preceded in death by his son, Steven Thorne; granddaughter, Emily; and brothers, Milton Jr., Ralph and Wayne.
Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.lensingfuneral.com.
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