E. (Bill) Duerksen

E. William (Bill) Duerksen, son of Elmer Franklin and Marie Duerksen, born in Hillsboro, Kansas in 1939, passed away on October 27th, 2021 in Gallatin, Tennessee.

Bill was raised on a farm in Kansas, attended a one room school house through the 8th grade and then moved to Reedley, California where he attended Emanuel Academy, Reedley High School, and Reedley College. He later joined the Army Reserve and attended San Jose State College.

In 1966, he married Charlotte Lyde McCleery of Ewa, Hawaii, daughter of Walter Lyde McCleery, Jr., and Edith Elizabeth McCleery. Together they lived in San Jose, California for 51 years where they raised their daughters, Pamela and Suzanne. In 2018, they moved to Gallatin, Tennessee.

He loved his wife and daughters, spending time with family, and traveling. His career began in sales and transitioned to real estate investing. If he wasn’t working or with family, he could be found playing golf at Almaden Golf and Country Club where he had many wonderful friends and even 3 hole-in-ones.

Bill is survived by his wife Charlotte Duerksen, his daughters Pamela Lyde Duerksen Eatman (Ronald Dean) and Suzanne Marie Duerksen Cathcart (Eugene Childs), his sister Katherine Faye Duerksen Kroeker (Darell Lee), and grandchildren Grace Lyde Eatman, William Lee Eatman, and Lillian Marie Eatman.

The family would like to thank the caregivers of Capstone at Station Camp, Gallatin and Aveanna Hospice for his wonderful care.

A private memorial was held in Gallatin, Tennessee, and a celebration of life will be held in California at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation https://www.apdaparkinson.org