William Dunham

William W. "Bill" Dunham, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo.

He was born Oct. 16, 1927, in Cape Girardeau to Millard W. and Effie M. Long Dunham Weaver. He and Mary L. Reisenbichler Dunham were married July 9, 1950, in Cape Girardeau.

Dunham served his country in the U.S. Navy as a storekeeper. He retired from Kraft Foods after many years as a sales representative.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, where he was past president of its Men's Club. He also was Boy Scout master of Troop 8 for many years and was a member of the American Legion. He coached the girls VFW softball team and boys minor and little league baseball teams.

Survivors include his wife, Mary L. Dunham; three sons, William C. (Diane) Dunham of Lake St. Louis, Mo., and Robert (Jan) Dunham and Timothy (Dr. Rhonda) Dunham, both of Cape Girardeau; daughter Mary C. Dunham of Cape Girardeau; sister Georgia Wimmer of Cape Girardeau; three grandchildren, Bryan (Deborah) Dunham and Patrick (Jenny) Dunham, both of Cape Girardeau and Jamie (Josh) Purtle of Lake St. Louis; four granddaughters, Kirsten Dunham, of Lake St. Louis, Stefanie (Cory) Kassel, of Altenburg, Mo., Ashley Underwood of Cape Girardeau and Misty (Jerry) Dority of Surprise, Ariz.; one step-grandson, Billy Underwood of Cape Girardeau; great-grandchildren Nicole Dunham of Surprise, Evan and Madilyn Dunham and Olivia Dunham, all of Cape Girardeau, Jordyn and Jackson Purtle of Lake St. Louis, Zoey Espinoza of Cape Girardeau and Brayden and Devin Kassel; brother-in-law and sister-in-law John and Jean Hewitt of Houston; sisters-in-law Betty Fluegge and Margie Vinyard, both of Jackson; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and stepfather, Willie Weaver.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, with the Rev. Douglas C. Breite officiating. Burial will be at Cape Girardeau County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau, with full military rites by the Missouri Honor Guard.

Memorial contributions may be given to Trinity Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran School Building Fund or Saxony Lutheran High School Building Fund.

Online condolences may be made at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.