Obituary of William Wendal Churchill

William Wendal Churchill, age 87, of Wisconsin Rapids, passed away on Thursday, December 31, 2015 at Renaissance Assisted Living in Wisconsin Rapids. Services will be held at 3:00 P.M. Monday, January 4, 2016 at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids. Rev. James Douglas will officiate. Burial will be at Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be from 1:00 P.M. until the time of services on Monday at the church. Herman-Taylor Funeral Home is assisting the family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.taylorfuneralhome.net. William was born on July 23, 1928 to James and Jessie (Fell) Churchill in Valley Junction, WI. He graduated from Necedah High School. William met Beverly Machon at work with the help of a few mischievous matchmakers. The couple was married on May 8, 1954 at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids; they were blessed with 61 years together. William was employed by Consolidated Papers Inc. as an estimator until his retirement. Growing up with a forest ranger for a father gave Bill a deep and lasting passion for all things in nature. In his younger years the family even had a pet bear that created all sorts of fun and havoc in their home. Bill enjoyed all seasons and never passed the opportunity to go hunting or fishing. He passed this great love of the outdoors to his children, taking them on endless adventures including tobogganing, kayaking and ice skating. Bill was very patient and was a true "MacGyver" when it came to fixing things; to him there was nothing that a little duct tape and tinkering couldn't fix. He was an excellent marksman. Bill excelled at playing Trivial Pursuit and was the undisputed family champion at the game. Bill is survived by his wife Beverly; children: Jan (Randy Kell) Churchill of Annapolis, MD, and their children Todd (Taylor) Kell, Sarah and Emily Kell; Kay (Todd) Ferkey of Wisconsin Rapids and their children Amanda, Darin, Anne and Allison Ferkey; James (Connie) Churchill of Stevens Point and their children Eric Churchill, Kevin (Jamie) Churchill and Scott Churchill; Kristin (Jaal Ghandhi) Churchill of Madison, WI and their children Nora and Alex Ghandhi; great-grandchildren: Meg and Haley Kell and Amelia Churchill; sisters: Shirley (Carl) Voll of Baraboo and Donna (Leslie) Nowicki of Wisconsin Rapids; sisters-in-law: Patricia Churchill of Beaverton, OR and Betty Jean Dachel of Rudolph; as well as many nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Kent Churchill. Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church. The family wishes to extend a thank you to the staff at Renaissance Assisted Living and to Dr. Ho and his staff, and Ministry Home Care Hospice for their excellent care and support. We Love You.