ArizonaRealCountry.com 31 June 2019 A RANCHER RESTS WILLIAM “BILL” VICTOR DUNN IN HEAVEN William “Bill” Victor Dunn was born June 9, 1931, in Dunning, Nebraska, to Percy L. and Ruth Ethel (Warren) Dunn, the first of three sons. His family lived near Purdum, Nebraska where they engaged in ranching. “Billy Vic” as young Bill was affectionately known, grew up with twin brothers, Jim and Jerry, who stuck together through thick and thin. He loved to build things and once created a sickle cell mower from his erector set that actually functioned with a power-take-off. Bill attended rural school in Blaine County graduating at the top of his eighth-grade class and continuing through his sophomore year of high school. He then lived with his aunt and uncle, Willa and Wes Dunn in Oshkosh to finish high school. There, Bill played football, loved learning and graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1951. It was on a trip to Oshkosh with his dad that the blizzard of 1949 occurred. Percy and Bill were stranded away from home for 10 days, leaving Ethel, Jim, and Jerry to manage at home. On March 4, 1952, Bill was drafted into the Army and fought in the Korean War. A serious injury that left him deaf in his left ear ended his active service. He was hospitalized in Japan during one of the major battles of the conflict that took many of the lives of those in his company. Bill was one of only three survivors from his company at the end of the Korean War. He returned to the states to complete his eight-year commitment and was honorably discharged on March 3, 1960. Bill was fascinated with mechanics and his inventive mind was always working. While away serving his country, Bill pondered a problem his brothers and father were struggling to solve back home. The winch for the B Farmall tractor just didn’t work for the new 8N Ford tractor. Bill wrote a letter containing a drawing with a proposed solution. The guys studied it and agreed it might work. Jim made a more precise sketch and then Jerry cut the pieces to form the machine. It worked and the winch remains in Jim’s possession today on his hay quarter. Upon returning home, Bill’s thoughts turned to romance and he decided to seek out a pen pal he had during his time in the Army. Roberta Lela Morris had been given an English assignment to write to a soldier. To avoid a zero she reluctantly agreed to write Bill upon the recommendation of a classmate, Charlotte Robinalt, who knew him and could vouch for his good character. They made a plan to see each other. Bill was driving his brother Jerry to Broken Bow for a date and he and Roberta planned to meet at her high school football game while he was there. They had not exchanged pictures or even descriptions of what the other would be wearing, just that they would meet at the concession stand. They found each other. The meeting sparked a relationship that led to an engagement on prom night. They dated throughout the summer, often attending church services together. It was during this time the Bill accepted the Lord as his personal savior. Bill and Roberta were married September 11, 1955, in Broken Bow, Nebraska. Bill had been working for another aunt and uncle, Fred and Melva Warren, while dating Roberta. It was Aunt Melva who encouraged him to go to college, so immediately following the wedding the couple left to attend Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee. They planned to pursue studies that would prepare them for the mission field. They had not been at college for a year when Percy informed them that he had leased the Teaford property for Bill to farm and ranch. Soon they returned to begin farming and ranching near Bill’s childhood home of Purdum. Two daughters, Teresa and Carmela, were born to them while living in this home. Bill and Roberta remained here until an unexpected opportunity in 1986 took them to the Diamond Lake Ranch in Brown County. They lived out their days ranching, interacting with nature, enjoying family and God’s abundance. Bill was very active in his community and never missed an opportunity to represent veterans on Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, etc. He was a volunteer fireman, Farm Bureau officer, Sunday school teacher and throughout his adult life and was also very involved in church leadership. Bill had a perplexing habit. He never wanted to waste precious time by arriving too early for an event and having to wait around for it to start. Thus he always tried to depart from home at the precise time that would get him to the place he needed to be just moments before an event started. More than occasionally he miscalculated and was late. An exasperated Roberta would exclaim, “Bill Dunn! You’re going to be late to your own funeral!” To which Bill would gleefully reply, “Well, I sure hope so!” Bill enjoyed life to its fullest. He loved family, farming (Roberta often said he had dirt in his veins instead of blood), talking to friends, meeting new people, inventing solutions for problems, reading and most of all he loved God. Bill devoted much of his life to knowing God and helping others to know God. He read through the entire Bible each year for 23 years straight and was on his 24th reading when he went home to be with his Lord. Bill passed away very suddenly of a pulmonary embolism, April 28, 2019, while visiting his brother Jim and family in Texas. Bill is survived by his wife of 63 years, Roberta Dunn of Ainsworth, Nebraska. Brother Jim Dunn. Two daughters: Teresa (Dan) Kennedy of Purdum, Nebraska, and Carmela (Mike) Barna of Phoenix, Arizona. Eight grandchildren: Candance (Jason) Wilson, Christy (Casey) Tucker, Kelly (Kat) Kennedy, Chris (Joy) Barna, Jason (Tabitha) Barna, James Barna, Dillon (Portia) Barna, and Brandon Barna. Eight great-grandchildren, a great-great-grandchild, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, many nieces and nephews, his church family and a host of friends.