Bill was born at home on June 14, 1932 to Bert Jacob and Frieda Fortner Sappington. He grew up working hard with an extended family. He was the oldest of six siblings, including Betty, Roy Allen, Wanda, Linda and Joyce. His life and outlook was formed by his upbringing on the farm during the Depression.

He married Mona Doke in Springfield on July 8, 1950, and they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this last summer outside in Nathaniel Greene Park with their family. Mona followed Bill to San Luis Obispo, California where he trained for the Army, before leaving on a ship for Korea. He spent two years there during the Korean Conflict.

After returning to Springfield, he started working for Producers Creamery (now Dairy Farmers of America) pulling butter from the churns. At the same time, he attended Southwest Missouri State University, graduating with a degree in mathematics. He later became an accountant at Mid-America Dairymen where he worked until retirement.

Their children, Mark Sappington and Kim Smith, were born at Burge Hospital, and they raised them in Springfield.

After retirement, he fulfilled a dream by building a new house on the Sappington family farm in Walnut Grove. They raised Limousine cattle and lived on the farm until moving to the Montclair Independent Living facility in June, 2019. They were lifelong members of the High Street Baptist Church, then the Seminole Baptist Church in Springfield.

Bill never met a stranger and loved to talk about his farm.

Bill is survived by his wife, Mona, his son, Mark (Dave) and his daughter Kim (Ben) and grandchildren, Jeff (Maria), Paige and Mitchell (Alyse) and great grandchildren, Quinn, Sawyer and Olive with two more on the way.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 11:30 am in Green Lawn Cemetery located in Walnut Grove, MO. We request that all funeral attendees wear a mask and practice social distancing.

The family ask in lieu of flowers memorial contributions be made out to the Ozarks Food Harvest.