Reverend William D. Bethel (Bill), 69, departed this life on August 10, 2021 after a long and courageous battle with cancer, in Springfield, Missouri.

Bill was born on August 9, 1952 in Chicago, Illinois.  His parents were Garland and Helen (Jackson) Bethel.  Bill had two sisters, Betty and Pearl Bethel. He accepted the Lord as his personal savior early in his life and it served him well throughout childhood illnesses.  On June 18, 1983, Bill married his wife Sherry (Roberts), of 38 years, in Moberly, Missouri.  Through this union, he gained three children.  Bill is survived by his wife Sherry of Marshall, Mo; children Heather (Kris) Mustain of Bolivar, Mo; Don (Randi) Adams of Springfield, Mo; and Les Adams of Marshall, Mo.; grandchildren Kimmy Cole (Deven), Kalyn Adams, Kaleb Mustain, Brandy Adams, Harlea (Drew) Mitchell, Cody (Jaime) Adams, Aarond Adams, Rylea Beesley, and David Adams; great-grand children Logan, Ethan, Easton, Jameson, Augustus, and Buckley.  Bill was proceeded in death by his parents, Garland and Helen Bethel, sisters Betty and Pearl, great-grandson Beau Adams, and a few great-grand angel babies, and a host of family and friends.

During Bill's life, he had many endeavors.  He worked in several different industries, but he predominantly made a living through mechanics and ministry.  He worked on all things from cars, motorcycles, rvs, large trucks, small appliances, household projects, and many other odd things.  He even was on the forefront of the alternative energy era when he devised plans of building small windmills that produced power from wind energy and generators held within the windmills and installed them in SW Missouri homes in the mid-eighties.  He had quite the myriad of items under his belt!  His greatest passion, and most noted was his commitment to helping and serving others through his work as a minister and Christ follower.  During all other jobs, he would always extend a hand to those in need and proclaim the love of Christ.  Toward the end of his earthly journey, some of the fruits of his labor were revealed to him, and nothing made him happier than to know he made a difference in this life, and others knew Christ through his love.

Although he had many talents and dabbled in this and that, besides ministering to others, he was most proud of his service in the United States Air Force.   He served from Sept. 1, 1972 – October 29, 1976 as an engineer.  During his tenure, he was stationed in Germany during Viet Nam because he was an only son.  During that time, he saw combat and was wounded.  He was honorably discharged.  He loved to tell stories of the shenanigans that were pulled during his time serving our country.  As most veterans, he didn't care to talk about the hard parts.  We know that he served with honor and his family is so proud of him for fighting to maintain the freedoms that we have in our country.  After his time in the service, he could be found practicing his marksmanship, and many times included his children in practices with different types of firearms.

Other noted talents that Bill had were many, but a couple stand out to many who know him.  He loved playing guitar and singing.  You could hear him peck out tunes when they were unknown, and you could also hear him pick through a well-known song flawlessly!  He played many different genres of music, but one notable song his family will fondly remember him singing and playing was "The Circle Won't Be Broken" and his family would sing along, especially enjoying the chorus together.  Many songs were sang in the home as the children grew, but he never quit playing and could be found blessing others with his talent at places of worship often.  The other gift he had, was the gift of gab.  He could tell you some of the funniest and wildest stories, and what was odd, most of them were true!  He will be remembered as being a little ornery and a lot spunky.  He knew life was too short to go through without laughter and love!

The family would like to extend a special note of thanks to the staff of Jordan Valley Healthcare and Phoenix Hospice Care in Springfield!  They had many people who got to know Bill over the last few months of his battle and were certainly angels that God surrounded him with.  We cannot express the gratitude for the care and love shown to Bill.

Cremation and services are under the direction of Midwest Cremation and Funeral Services.  The funeral will be held on Friday, August 20, 2021 at 1pm at the Springfield National Cemetery with full military honors.