W. Willis “Bill” Longer

W. Willis “Bill” Longer

Monticello

W. Willis “Bill” Longer of Monticello, Iowa, died July 29, 2022, at the Monticello Nursing and Rehab Center. Bill was born Dec. 1, 1933, in Washington, Iowa, and was the son of Walter Longer and Roxie (Gideon) Longer. He graduated from Washington High School in 1951 and then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dairy Husbandry from Iowa State University in 1956. He attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah, where he began his studies towards his Master’s Degree in Dairy Science.

While in Logan he felt the call to pursue the Presbyterian Ministry and returned to Dubuque, Iowa, to study at the University of Dubuque Seminary. In 1959, he was united in marriage to Verla M. Nipper at Calvin Sinclair Presbyterian Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He earned his Bachelor of Divinity in 1960 and was ordained at the Logan Presbyterian Church in Utah that same year and then earned his Masters of Sacred Theology in 1963. From 1960 to 1989 he served four churches in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Following his service to the First Presbyterian Church in Monticello, Iowa, in 1989 he entered the interim ministry and served another 10 years in churches throughout the Midwest. In 2005, he was honored by the Presbytery of East Iowa for 45 years of ministerial service. In 1963 they adopted their daughter Corlyn and in 1967 their son Wayne. In 2009 they celebrated 50 years of marriage with a reception at Calvin Sinclair Presbyterian Church.

Bill had a great love of the farm life, animals and the outdoors. He bought ponies for Corlyn and Wayne and a horse for himself in the mid-1970s. This developed into a full-fledged breeding operation where they raised Pinto Saddlebred horses and showed Pintos all across the country. He served on the Board of Directors for three different Pinto Horse Association charters and was Sector Director to the national Pinto Horse Association. He eventually purchased the horse stable located behind The Monticello Nursing and Rehab Center, which would become his final home. Bill moved to the nursing home in 2019 as a result of increasing difficulties with dementia.

A Memorial Service will be held on Oct. 28, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Faith Presbyterian Church (formerly Calvin Sinclair Presbyterian Church) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with Rev. Dennis Morey officiating and a luncheon following. Cremation services were lovingly provided by Kramer Funeral Home in Monticello, Iowa. Private burial will take place at a later date.

He is survived by daughter Corlyn (Joe) Schreck of Kalamazoo, Mich., son Wayne Longer of Monticello, Iowa; three grandchildren, Nicholas Drake, Abbigail (Aryeh) Nussbaum Cohen, and Benjamin Schreck; five nieces, Roseanne (Rod) Furgason, Cindy Barr, Lynn (Ron) Millsap, Jill (Mike) Kach, Patty Marr; three nephews, Randy (Darlene) Payne, Doug (Kay) Merino and Kirk (Denise) Nipper; and many great-nieces, great-nephews and several great-great-nieces and -nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Verla (Nipper) Longer in March of 2022, his parents, sister Bette (Longer) and brother-in-law Bernard Payne, and several other extended family members on both sides of the family.

Rest well, good and faithful servant.

Information available at www.kramerfuneral.com. Condolences may be left or send cards to Bill’s family in care of Kramer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 791, Monticello, IA 52310-0791.