William Beatty

William “Bill” Beatty, 90, of Atlantic, Iowa, passed away Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic.

He was born December 23, 1926, in Hancock, Iowa, the son of Alvin and Rachel (Henry) Beatty. Bill attended school in Hancock through the eleventh grade. He completed his senior year of high school at Oakland High School in Oakland, Iowa, graduating with the class of 1944. Bill then served two years in the United States Army. After serving in the military, he attended the University of Iowa for one year in 1948, before returning to Oakland, where he met Mildred Pierce.

Bill and Mildred moved to Ruthven, Iowa, in 1948, where Bill started his banking career. Bill and Mildred were united in marriage on August 6, 1950, at the Methodist Church in Oakland. As Bill continued his career in banking, they moved to Indianola, Iowa, in 1955, Osceola, Iowa, in 1965, and Atlantic, Iowa, in 1966, where they remained while Bill worked for the Atlantic State Bank.

He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Atlantic since 1966. Bill was also very active in the community having served on the Atlantic Community School Board, Cass County Memorial Hospital Board, Heritage House Board and was a member of the Atlantic Rotary Club.

Bill liked to play cards and was a fan of many sports, especially basketball and golf. He also enjoyed watching his grandsons’ sporting events. Bill loved to travel with Mildred. A family friend stated he was a “Great man who cared for his family and his community”. His good natured spirit and his smile will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Rachel Beatty; his parents-in-law, Arthur and Sara Pierce; his son, William P. Beatty; his brothers, Henry (Carolyn) Beatty, Don (Beulavon) Beatty and Max Beatty; his sisters-in-law, Edna Pierce, Mary (Clarence) Kunze and Helen (Edwin) Underwood; and his brothers-in-law, Fred (Esther) Pierce, Ralph Pierce and Robert Pierce.

Bill is survived by his wife of 66 years, Mildred Beatty of Atlantic, IA; his daughter, Emily (Bruce) Jordan of West Bend, WI; his grandsons, Jeff Jordan of Denver, CO, and Nick (fiancé, Erin Katopodis) Jordan of Madison, WI; his sister-in-law, Mary Beatty of Avoca, IA, and Junellyn Pierce of Oakland, IA; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., with a visitation prior to that from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 15, 2017, at the First United Methodist Church in Atlantic, Iowa.

A private family burial will be held in the Atlantic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family would prefer memorials to the Heritage House Good Samaritan Fund, the First United Methodist Church in Atlantic or the Atlantic Public Library.