Aug. 27, 1926 — Feb. 15, 2009
MONTROSE — William “Bill” Roth passed away at home with his family by his side on Sunday morning, Feb. 15, 2009.
 Advertisement |
In May of 1953, Bill married the love of his life, Penny Bowman, in Evansville, Ind. and they moved to the Sauk/Prairie community in Wisconsin, where they would make their home for the next 43 years. Penny, a commissioned pastor in The United Church of Christ, went on to pastor two churches in nearby communities, Merrimac and North Freedom, for over 30 years. Bill left the ordnance plant in 1967 and took a position with the U.S. Postal Service, going on to become Postmaster of Prairie du Sac, Wis. and retiring from the postal service in 1988. Bill also served as Penny’s “Man Friday,” assisting with her ministry throughout her many years of service. Following a series of health related difficulties, Bill and Penny moved in with their daughter, Beth and son-in-law Robert Murphy, in September of 2005 and then relocated with them to southwestern Colorado in September of 2007.
Bill and Penny were ardent travelers and made many trips to the Holy Land as well as places like Scotland, Spain and the Panama Canal. Bill was an accomplished photographer, fisherman, antique collector and vocalist. He sang for many years with both the Sauk City United Church of Christ Choir as well as two separate groups, The Hilltop Singers and The Men of A-Chord. Bill’s faith in God supported him throughout his life and carried him through his health difficulties and his final days.
Bill was preceded in death by both his parents and also Penny, his wife of 55 years on Aug. 18, 2008. He is survived by his son, Phillip Roth (Gail) of South Whitley, Ind.; son, Paul Roth of Montrose, Colo.; daughter, Elizabeth Murphy (Robert) of Montrose, Colo.; and grandsons, Chris (Jenna) Burnworth and Corey (Stephanie) Burnworth and five great-grandchildren, all of South Whitley, Ind.; as well as two brothers, Herb (Phyliss) Roth of Evansville, Ind. and Walt (Carol) Roth of Huntley, Ill.
There will be a memorial service on Sunday, March 8, at 3:30 p.m., at the Trinity Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 709 Business 30 West in Columbia City, Ind.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Bill Roth to Hospice of Western Colorado and sent to Robert and Beth Murphy, 18625 Spring Canyon Road, Montrose, CO 81403. Arrangements are being handled under the direction, care and have been enstrusted to Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors (970) 240-9870.
• Be respectful of others, the writer and the subjects in the story.
• Be relevant. Keep your comments on point.
• See the guidelines for TalkAbout. Perhaps your comment is best for that community forum, available from the home page, instead of commenting on a particular story.
Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. Montrose Press is not liable for messages from third parties.
DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in montrosepress.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Montrose Press. Montrose Press does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Montrose Press spokespersons.
Thank you for your comments!