Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Black, William Mackie 2006 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net March 13, 2010, 2:32 pm Hastings Reminder, 19 Dec 2006 Hastings Reminder, 19 Dec 2006 William (Bill) Mackie Black, age 73, owner of Bill Black Trucking, LLC., died at home on Saturday, December 16, 2006 following a courageous battle with cancer. He was born April 20, 1933, in Okemos, to the late William Mackie Sr. and Mary Louisa Black. The fifth of seven children and only surviving son, Bill early on had his future shaped by a tough, yet loving Scottish father and an educated and compassionate mother. Along the way Bill was surrounded by five sisters that always insured that he knew his place. Bill was eventually very happy to see them marry off and by doing so enjoy the benefits offered in the form of his brothers-in-law. With his family as the people to shape him, Bill early on learned the secrets of his success, family first and treat each man fairly. Bill’s early years were spent helping his dad in working in the family meat packing business, doing chores on the family farm and working at Michigan Agriculture College, the predecessor to MSU. His hobbies were typical of a young man growing up in the Midwest in the pre WWII years. He graduated from Okemos High School in 1951. While at Okemos he was active in many student functions to include the drama club and was a standout athlete in football, basketball and baseball. He was captain of the football team and a multi-year letterman in all three sports. At quarterback he lead the Okemos team to multiple championships. Although offered several athletic scholarships to include football at Ohio State University he enlisted in the United States Navy due to the outbreak of the Korean War. Bill became a SeaBee and served throughout the Pacific. He saw service in Guam and Korea and served with distinction while attached to the United States Marines. He attained the rank of Petty Officer 2nd class and was awarded several decorations. He was discharged in 1956 and moved with his first wife, the former Sheila Brown back to Jackson, to engage in farming. Bill moved to the Lake Odessa area in early 1960 and farmed for several years until he started working with Smith Bros & Velte, Co. from 1965 to 1989. While there Bill worked his way up to general manager of operations and managed all four plants that the company then owned. During this time he lived in Woodbury, and worked on raising a family and supporting his community. From 1989 to 1997 he worked with Wolverton Cattle Company and traveled all over the United States hauling livestock. He spent a great deal of his free time working with draft horses, cutting wood, tending maple syrup and enjoying all the benefits that life could offer. Dedicated to his community he helped out with the Lake Odessa Fair, Lakewood School District athletic program, the Moose Club, the Veterans of Foreign Wars post and several other organizations. Upon his divorce from Sheila in 1997, Bill started his own trucking company and moved to Battle Creek. He then married the former Karen Peck and they worked together for several years in the trucking industry up until her death in 2002. Bill then married the former Linda Susan (Sue) Alldaffer of Indiana in 2003. Bill and Sue continued to operated his trucking company up until his untimely death. Bill was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Independent Truckers Association of America. Bill is survived by his wife, Sue; his son William and wife Kimberly of The Woodlands, TX; his son Kenneth and wife Kathleen of Grand Ledge; his son Darrel and wife Teresa of Alto; daughter Deana and her husband John Brownlow of Cascade; daughter Darla Sutton of Lowell; step daughter Shelly and husband Greg Cole of the Battle Creek area; step daughter Christy Peck; step daughter Deborah and her husband Tim Tucker of Oakwood OH; step daughter Junetta and her husband Ken Dunakin of Oakwood OH. He is also survived by his legacy and the pride of his life a multitude of loving grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is further survived by his sister Ada Meade, sister, Jean and her husband Lenneth Britt, and his sister Margert and her husband Wayne Musbach, and a host of nephews, nieces, other relatives and many friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Lou Ramsey and Georgia Kay Krieder and infant daughter Ledonna. Visitation will be held at Backman Hebble Funeral Service on Tuesday from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, 11:00 A.M. at Bachman Hebble Funeral Service. Burial will be in Fort Custer National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial funds can be donated in his name to Starr Commonwealth and Boys and Girls Town. We would like to thank all of the staff of the Cancer treatment center, the critical care unit on the third floor of Battle Creek Health Systems and the hospice nurses for all their support. “Always the Family first, and treat each man fairly,” William Mackie Black Arrangements by the Bachman Hebble Funeral Service, a member by invitation Selected Independent Funeral Homes. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/b/black3115nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 5.6 Kb