William “Bill” Robert Crippen was born March 22, 1940, in Mitchell, South Dakota, to Hazel Van Buskirk Crippen and James Edward Crippen. He was the youngest of eleven children (8 girls, 3 boys). The family resided in Alpena, South Dakota. Bill’s father died when he was eight. When he was twelve, his mother’s gall bladder ruptured and she was very sick for a long time. For a time he lived and worked on the ranch of Sunday School teacher Veda Hawthorne, who instilled his interest and appreciation of Sunday School teachers.
From 1952 through 1956, Bill played Taps on the trumpet for older friends at their veteran memorial services.
At age 16 Bill moved with his older sister Ruby and husband to McPherson, Kansas. Shortly after arrival, the couple left, but contracted Bill to a nearby dairy farm where he worked like a slave for room and board and was harshly treated and poorly fed. At Sunday School, he met and began dating Elaine Winslow. Local Sunday School teacher Elmo Koger learned of Bill’s stead from Elaine’s mother and rescued and took in Bill. Elmo modeled the Christ-like service to which Bill would aspire. Bill credited Elmo with saving his life, influencing his Christian walk, and noting “Bill, you need to marry that little Elaine.”
Bill did marry Elaine November 8, 1958, in McPherson, Kansas, and they had a son and three daughters. He worked several years as a linotype operator for the Sentinel Daily (newspaper) of McPherson. He subsequently was employed by Nazarene Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, as Art Director 1966–1972, and he attended the Kansas City Art Institute. The next 32 years he worked for Burns and McDonnell in Kansas City as Graphic Production Manager in the Marketing Division, where he performed art direction and aerial photography. His work was recognized with several “master printer” awards. He retired in February 2004.
As his family grew, Bill enjoyed camping and sailing. His hobbies included home improvement projects, carpentry, and lathe woodworking. He constructed decks for his recreational camping trailer sites and he produced artistic wooden toy spinning tops, rolling pins, goblets, bowls, cups, etc.
Bill loved music, especially gospel, blue grass and country. He played hammered dulcimer, harmonica, bowed psaltery, and fiddle, and Elaine played autoharp. They played with other musicians in the Mountain Glory band 1991 through 2012.
Bill taught adult Sunday School for 44 years. He also directed the Sunday School bus ministry. Good friends John Rice, Jerry Brooks and he crafted and decorated the children’s bus with life-size Snoopy characters.
Bill received a late diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in 2011. He continued a comfortable and happy life at home with Elaine through May of this year and then resided in memory care facilities. Bill passed away at Kansas City Hospice House the evening of November 15, 2019.
He was predeceased by his parents and siblings Stella Davis, Inez McMonagle, Edna Settler, Hazel Carlton, Ruby Gajewski, Helen Crandall, Roland Crippen, Bud Crippen, Dorothy Thompson, and Jean Walton.
He leaves to cherish his memory his wife of 61 years, Elaine Crippen of Grain Valley, and: his son Ed Crippen of Atlanta, Georgia; three daughters Brenda Burnfin (husband Chuck) of Raymore, Chistine Carroll (husband Paul) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Merrilee “Cricket” McGee (husband René) of Independence; three grandchildren Jake Basquiat of New Orleans, Louisiana, Willow Winslow-Charboneau (husband Drew) of Springfield, Lauren Carroll of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; two great-grandchildren Calla Lily Winslow-Charboneau and Jubilee Day Winslow-Charboneau; and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be 5 – 7 p.m., Thursday, November 21, at Royer Funeral Home, 100 Royer Lane, Grain Valley. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, November 22, at Woods Chapel United Methodist Church, 4725 NE Lakewood Way, Lee’s Summit. Interment will follow at 2:30 p.m. at Valley Memorial Gardens cemetery (behind Royer Funeral Home, Grain Valley, Missouri). Pastor Dave Hackett will be the celebrant. The funeral service will be livestreamed at:
https://livestream.com/WoodsChapel/events/6305104/videos/199201644. After the funeral, the video will remain available for a limited time for streaming.
The family extends special thanks to the following for support and services over the years and during Bill’s final transition: The quilters of Women’s Fellowship of Wellington; Break Time Club at Timothy Lutheran Church of Blue Springs; The many friends of church and community; and, Kansas City Hospice House of Kansas City.
A special thanks to Ken Shoemaker for providing funeral attendees with instrumentals with Bill’s and Elaine’s favorite instruments.
The family also appreciates your thoughts and prayers, and asks that in lieu of flowers, you please consider contributing to organizations that have been valued by Bill, Elaine and children – namely: Kansas City Hospice House – www.KCHospice.org; Woods Chapel United Methodist Church Music Program – www.WoodsChapelChurch.org; Shelter Kansas City (formerly known as Kansas City Rescue Mission) – www.ShelterKC.com.
Arrangements: Royer Funeral Home, Grain Valley, MO 816-847-4441