William Edward "Bill" Lewis Jr.

William Edward Lewis III was born June 11, 1929, in St. Luke's hospital, St Paul Minnesota. He was the first-born child to William E Lewis Jr. and Marie Agnes Wrich. He passed away on January 9, 2025, at the age of 95 at Mckenzie Willamette Hospital in Springfield, Oregon.
Billie or Bill as he was always known, graduated from 8th grade at Lexington School District #10 in 1943. He attended Murray High School in St. Paul and graduated in 1947.
As a child growing up in the 30's & 40's, Bill remembered that his parents rented, then moved into a house with his grandmother and aunt. His parents purchased their first home in 1941, where they lived until he left home, Bills first job was when he was 11 years old, weeding at the farm across the street for $0.75 a day. He often shared that he was a Boy Scout but never learned how to swim. Bill also remembered rationing (sugar, meat & butter) in 1942-1944. They also had sirens to practice "black outs". They turned off all outside lights and closed draperies so the Japanese planes could not see the cities. When he was in High School, Bill worked at a gas station.
In the fall of 1947, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota, College of Agriculture and Forestry. In 1948 he enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard hoping to hold off military service until after college. Two years of National Guard summer camp followed. He met Delores Ann Gorowsky at a social dance in St. Paul on November 19, 1949, and she made sure he had her phone number by the end of that evening.
In 1950 during the Korean Conflict, President Harry Truman called for the activation of the entire 47th Division. So, college was put on hold. Service began at Camp Rucker, Alabama and ended at Eielson AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska. He was honorably discharged in July 1952 holding the rank of Master Sergeant (E-7). The most outstanding event of his service was "Exercise Buster- Jangle" at Yucca Flats, Nevada (about 45 miles north of Las Vegas). It was there on November 1, 1951, that troops from all branches (about 4,000 GI's) observed the first above ground Atomic Bomb test. Bill shared that they were positioned about 7 miles from ground zero. The GIs were instructed to sit on the ground, facing east with their backs to the target. Three planes had been in the air for three hours doing wind checks to ensure a safe drop. At 7:30 am the GI's listened on a PA system to a conversation between the pilots and the control center: "Countdown, three seconds, two seconds, one second, bombs away". Time stood still, then a flashing, blinding light. Then extreme heat on their backs and necks - lasting only a second. Just three seconds later the GIs were told to turn to the target while remaining seated. They saw the mushroom forming with fire on the ground. After another 5-6 seconds they felt the "blast" with a deafening thunder roar and the ground shook.
On June 27, 1953, Bill married Delores at Memorial Lutheran Church at Earl & Maryland Streets in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also continued at the university until graduation in August 1954. In October 1954 Bill went to work for Rilco Laminated Products, a manufacturer of wood arches, trusses and other structural products. They moved to Albert Lea, a small town in southern Minnesota. Their first child Gary William was born on December 1, 1954, in St. Paul, followed by Debra Lynn on February 17, 1956. In 1960 the Rilco Co merged with the Weyerhaeuser Co and the family moved to Oregon. Bradley David was born on September 8, 1960, in Cottage Grove, Oregon.
Bill was transferred back to the Albert Lea, Minnesota Weyerhaeuser site in 1961. However, by 1965 an opportunity opened at the Springfield, Oregon Weyerhaeuser Mill, so Bill and Delores jumped at the opportunity to return to Oregon. They settled in Eugene where Bill had several positions until
being transferred in 1974 to Weyerhauser's corporate headquarters in Federal Way, Washington where he stayed for just three years before returning to Weyerhaeuser's Springfield site in 1977. It was then that Bill & Delores built their "dream house" on the Willamette River, where they lived for the next 18 years.
In 1991, Bill retired after 37 years of service with Rilco/Weyerhauser. In October 1997, at the age of 68, he suffered a stroke, but he beat the odds and was able to regain all mental faculties and most activity until his death.
Bill and Delores loved living in the Pacific Northwest. They enjoyed camping, hiking, fishing and skiing. They also had many travel trips including a six week trailer drive across the contiguous US States, a trailer drive up the Alcan Highway to Anchorage, many visits to Hawaii and Mexico, a cruise to Indonesia (1992), a cruise up the eastern seaboard to Nova Scotia, a tour of England/France/ Switzerland (2002), a tour of New Zealand, skied Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia and were Arizona snowbirds for 5 years.
Bill is survived by his wife Delores (married 71 years), sister Nancy Lewis, sons: Gary (Karen) and Brad (Jody), and daughter Debra Garrow. Seven grandchildren: Byron Garrow (Chelcie), Sara Brower (Brandon), Molly Purganan (Anthony), Jeff Lewis, Anthony Manago, Jennifer Contrades (Bryson), & Junior Manago. As well as 6 (plus one on the way) Great Grandchildren.
A memorial service is planned for Friday, February 21, 2025 @ 1:00 pm at Central Lutheran Church in Eugene, OR. Service can be live streamed atwelcometocentral.org, or viewed later by selecting the "View Recorded Events" option.