William "Bill" Nester

William "Bill" Nester, 86, of Marysville, KS, and formerly of Raytown, MO, passed away Friday, July 18, 2014 at Country Place Senior Living in Marysville where he has lived since May 2012. Visitation was Tuesday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Kinsley Mortuary in Marysville. A funeral service was held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 23 at the Mission Creek Presbyterian Church near Summerfield, KS. Rev. Jim McNeal officiated. Marsha Barr played the organ while the congregation sang “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” and “Pass It On”. The pallbearers were Jerry Kerl, Brian Kerl, Tim Dengel, Alvin Erhart, Mark Cameron and Steve Cameron. Burial was in the Mission Creek Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the Liberty American Legion. Bill was born February 28, 1928 at Marysville, KS, son of Cyrus and Altha (Huff) Nester. In 1946, he graduated from Marysville High School. Following basic training at Ft. Knox, KY, in the Field Artillery, he served in the Army of Occupation, Seoul, Korea, in 1946-1947. On November 11, 1950, he was united in marriage to Cleo Cameron. In 1952, he graduated from Emporia State Teachers College with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He began his federal civilian service in 1952 at the Topeka Air Force Depot. In March 1958, he transferred to the Social Security Administration Payment Center in Kansas City, MO. In 1985, he retired after 35 years of federal service, the last 15 years of which he served as Chief, Personnel Operations Branch for the Payment Center. During his career Bill received several awards for outstanding work performance but the most prestigious was the Social Security Administration's highest honor award, the Commissioner's Citation, which was awarded to him in September 1967, at Social Security Administration Headquarters in Baltimore, MD. His wife, Cleo, and his mother attended these award ceremonies with him. Following his retirement in 1985, he spent a lot of time with his chief hobby, growing and showing dahlias and doing volunteer work for the Salvation Army where he was an interviewer of needy families in the Family Services Division, Independence, MO, and later as a driver for Meals on Wheels and Wheels That Care programs sponsored by the Shepherd's Center of Raytown. Bill and his wife became members of the Raytown Christian Church in 1963 where he served several three year terms as a Deacon. He was a past president of the Greater Kansas City Dahlia Society, and Dahlia Show Director for several years at the Missouri State Fair. He was certified by the American Dahlia Society as a Senior Dahlia Show Judge. He was a member of Masonic Lodge #91 in Marysville and American Legion Post #21 in Independence, MO. Bill and Cleo loved to fish before gardening took up so much of their time. They also liked to dance and travel. They have traveled extensively in the United States and parts of Canada. Survivors include his wife, Cleo; along with numerous nieces and nephews and their families, including Larry and Sharon Cameron, J.D. and Jackie Cameron, Marie and Henry Kerl, Norma Mason, Lowell and Betty Morrill, Frank and Donna McGuire, and Twila Kepler. He was preceded in death by his parents; foster parents, Della Mae and John Burnside; and brother, Ralph Nester. A memorial fund has been established to the Salvation Army or Shepherd's Center, 7900 Blue Ridge Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64138. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of William "Bill" Nester, please visit our flower store.