William “Bill” P. Appelgate, 95, of Story City died September 11, 2014 at Bethany Manor in Story City. Visitation will be 5-7 pm, Sunday, September 14th at Soderstrum Funeral Home in Story City.Funeral services will be 11 am, Monday, September 15th at Grace United Methodist Church in Story City. Burial is 1 pm at the Evergreen Cemetery in the Jewell.
Bill was born on February 13, 1919 at home near Toledo, IA to Hiram H. and Helen (McAfee) Appelgate. He was a farmer, a skilled carpenter and lived a life of service to others. Bill married Dorothy Rex Hoversten on February 15, 1974.
Bill was a member of Grace United Methodist Church, North Iowa Conference Lay Leader for many years and elected Lay Member to the General Conference for the United Methodist Church four times. He was a member and President of Story City Kiwanis. He enjoyed woodworking and restoring tractors and trucks. Bill was a tireless volunteer, receiving the 2014 Governor’s Volunteer Award. He was a philanthropist with P.E.T. and Heifer International and received the Dan West Fellow Award, Heifer’s highest recognition. He also received the Harry Denman Award, the highest recognition that can be given a Methodist layperson. He was an initiator and founding organizer of Iowa’s Annual Ingathering which has raised millions of dollars for United Methodist International charities. He was a global citizen having worked with Heifer on four continents with the poorest of the poor.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Dorothy; children: William K. (Joyce) Appelgate, Margaret Aiseayew, Glen (Pat) Hoversten, Patty Hoversten, Janet (Lyle) Wing, Richard Hoversten, Glenda (Ron) Rahfeldt and Joanne (Robert) Pelant; 21 grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; three great great grandchildren; three brothers: Kenneth, Richard (Joyce) and Max; two sisters in law: Peggy Hanson and Angie Appelgate; and three nephews: Brian (Sharon) Johnson, Steve (Janet) Johnson and Alan (Joan) Johnson.
He was preceded in death by his first wife: Kathryn Johnson Appelgate in 1973; his parents and brother, Harold Appelgate.
Memorials may be made out to P.E.T., Heifer International or Grace United Methodist Church.