William M. and Donna Ruth Beisel

William M. Beisel died June 23, 2012. His wife of 66 years, Donna Ruth (Herold) Beisel, died May 21, 2012. Both had been living in Great Falls, Mont., since 2005. For over a decade, Bill suffered from Alzheimer's disease and Donna battled Parkinson's disease. Bill and Donna are survived by daughter, Judi Snow, Surprise, Ariz.; sons, Jim, Great Falls, Mont., and Michael Wild, Scotland. Donna is also survived by her sisters, Edna Hughes, Flint, Texas, and Laura Smith, Witchita, Kan.; brother, Bob Herold, Neal, Kan. Brother Tom Herold, Orlando, Fla., died on Jun 24, 2012. Donna and Bill had five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, plus nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. July 14 at the Christian Church, Yates Center, Kan., and at 2 p.m. July 16 at Northwood Christian Church, Indianapolis, Ind. Memorial donations in Donna's name can be made to the National Parkinson's Foundation, http://www3.parkinson.org/goto/donnabeisel, click "Make a Donation" under her picture. Memorial donations in Bill's name can be made to the Alzheimer's Disease, http://act.alz.org/goto/bill.beisel, click "Make a Donation" under his picture. Donna was born Sept. 19, 1923, in a farmhouse northwest of Yates Center, Kan. The first of five children, she attended a one-room school before boarding in town to graduate in 1942 from Yates Center High School. She went to Kansas City to study business while working at Wilcox Electric, a defense contractor during WWII. Bill Beisel was born March 16, 1924, in Indianapolis, Ind. After graduating from high school, he enlisted. The Army sent him to Kansas City for radioman's training, where Donna ran into him at the Play Mor Skating Rink. While Bill was in Europe, Donna gave gallons of blood to ensure he would have blood available if he needed it and was featured in a Wilcox news article "69 Pints Save 69 Lives" (that's 8-5/8 gallons). On Jan. 19, 1946, she and Bill married in Kansas City, then settled in Indianapolis, Ind. In 1963, when Donna's father suffered a paralyzing stroke, the family returned to Yates Center so Donna could help care for him. As trucking jobs changed, Bill and Donna took the family to Little Rock, Ark. (1965), Tinley Park, Ill. (1967), and Kansas City, Kan. (1970). In 1988, Rogers, Ark., became their retirement home. As Parkinson's (Donna) and Alzheimer's (Bill) reduced the couple's capacity to handle daily tasks, they moved to Great Falls, Mont. (2005), so Jim (son) could help with daily tasks. In Rogers, Donna's energy redefined "retirement" as she whacked fabric to bits in order to sew them into magical, colorful quilts. Her love was stitched into the seams and patterns, so those fortunate to snuggle beneath one of her quilts could feel Donna's arms around them. She gave her stuffed bears and quilts to hospitals and women's shelters. She regularly shared her love for quilting, teaching classes at the Rogers Sewing Center. She made many friends in Rogers, frequenting the Rogers Senior Center for meals and playing cards or dominoes. She continued gardening, winning awards for her flower garden. She also continued to teach Sunday school at the First Christian Church of Rogers. Meeting friends in Frisco Park to listen to the Pickin' & Grinnin' was a summertime favorite. Bill always had a one-liner or a joke that kept everyone laughing. Talking with friends, playing the piano and listening to Benny Goodman or Glenn Miller Band made Bill's day. Bill lived each day to follow his father's example of integrity and honesty, which made him a cherished friend and a valued worker. As Alzheimer's stole his ability to remember, Bill never forgot to make others smile! Seeing those he loved always made him smile! Though Bill and Donna are gone from our sight, they still live in the lives they touched. Look at Bill and Donna's memorial pages on Legacy.com.