Bill Coday (Hartville)'s Obituary
William Eli Coday was born on August 13, 1926 to Chester Lee and Susie Irene (Edwards) Coday about a mile from where he lived for the past 70 plus years. His master called and he left his Earthly home on May 7, 2018 surrounded by his loved ones at the age of 91 years, 8 months, and 25 days.
On January 6, 1949 he married Flota Jaunita Hall and they spent fifty-six years together until her passing on June 19, 2005. To this union four children were born, one son and three daughters.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his baby sister, Bonnie Lee, a sister Virginia Hefner on January 4, 2018, and a son Darrell Coday, February 15, 2018.
Bill is survived by his daughters; Teresa Wynn and her husband Terry, of Hartville, Missouri, Shirley Coday, Bonnie Cook and her husband Danny, and Tammie Cutbirth and her husband Rex, all of Mansfield, Missouri; eleven grandchildren, Twila Dedmon and her husband Gary, Mike Coday and his wife Laura, Rebecca Jones and her husband Ronald, Angela Nuckels, Tonia Herbold, Brent Wynn and his wife Megan, Amanda Doneski and her husband Robert, Adam Cook and his wife Natalie, Mindi Lemons and her husband Jerry, Heather Cutbirth, and Heidi Thornton and her husband Tim; twenty-nine great-grandchildren; Garith, Justin, and Grant Dedmon, Shaina, Chelsea, Tyler, and Bryce Coday, Brianna, Ashley, Haley, and Nathan Jones, Brady and Brody Nuckles, Brendon Herbold and Emma Wynn, Eli, Emma, and Emry Cook, Christian and Claire Doneski, Brett, Baylee, Chloe, Cali, Emersyn, Tolliver, and Adley Lemons, and Alexis and Timmy Thornton; two great-great-grandchildren; Somer Coday and Kohen Dedmon; a sister, Evelyn Williams and her husband Harlin, of Norwood, Missouri; a number of nieces, nephews, as well as a host of many other relatives and many caring neighbors and friends.
Bill was born and raised in Wright County near Mansfield, Missouri where he lived his entire life within a mile from where he was born. He was drafted into the Army in 1944 and served in the First 112 Calvary being awarded the following decorations and citations. Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with a Bronze Star, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with a Bronze Star Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army of Occupation Medal-Japan, and Lapel Button Issued Three Overseas Bars. He served his country faithfully during WWII until his discharge in 1946. While in the hospital the last time, one of his nurses told him that he was a hero. He had been in the area where her dad had been born in a cave and she told him he had saved her dad’s life.
He went to school for eight years at Johnson School. He walked everyday in warm weather barefooted and with gunny sacks wrapped around his feet during the winter. He only missed eight days in the eight years he went to school due to the measles. He completed his high school education at Hartville High School in one day. He said he went in the front and out the back door the first day, walked home and hooked up the double shovel plow and started plowing. Growing up he earned the name Wild Bill Coday. It still applied at ninety-one.
As a child he caught rabbits and set hens to sell the chickens to buy what few school clothes he had. At the age of sixteen he went to Nebraska to work on the railroad. He came home then went to California and picked fruit. He would earn $1.25 per day. After the service he came home and hauled milk for Kraft for seventeen years on a flat bed truck. Many a time, we watched him pick up two ten gallon cream cans, one in each hand and set it on the milk truck. He sold the milk route and started working road construction until he retired around 1983. After retirement he worked on the farm cutting his wood, brush hogging, and raising a big garden. Many family members, neighbors, and friends enjoyed his harvest each year.
In his younger years he enjoyed bird hunting, coon hunting, deer hunting, and going fishing. Many interesting stories will be shared for many years to come.
He loved his family and he had many friends that he loved as family. Bill never met a stranger no matter where he was. He was a person that could start a conversation and have a new friend within the first five minutes. He had a laugh that could be heard all over. When Bill and his family went to town on Saturday, if you wanted to find him all you needed to do was just stand and listen and his laugh would boom across town within a matter of minutes.
Bill lived his life and believed that you said what you meant and meant what you said. He said that you preached your own funeral by how you lived, treated others, and your own personal relation with the God All-Mighty. He was a loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, brother, uncle, caring neighbor, and dear friend. He created many memories for all his loving family and many dear friends. He will be sadly missed by all that knew and loved him. He may be gone from our sight, but he will always live on in our hearts. When you left your earthly home you took a piece of each of us with you. You will be greatly missed and forever loved. You will be forever our hero.
Memorial can be made to Wolf Creek Cemetery Building Fund through HHFH, PO Box 236, Hartville, Mo. 65667
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