William "Bill" Bartlett

Apr. 11, 1924 - Mar. 23, 2017

Date of Service: Jul. 22, 2017

William "Bill" Bartlett, a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and friend was born April 11, 1924, the son of William B and Elisabeth Truesdell Barlett in Leverett, MA. He passed away March 23, 2017 in Yuma, Arizona.
Bill is survived by the new love of his life, his wife, Jean Hayes Bartlett, whom he married on September 5, 2009 in the Burley Methodist Church in a joyous wedding celebration.
Bill is also survived by his 3 daughters, Patricia "Trish" Bauman (Gene) of Everett, WA, Kathleen "Kathy" France (Tim) of Fairfield, CA and Laura Bradway (Jeff) of Roseville, CA. and 7 grandchildren, Preston Bauman (Crystal), Elisabeth Bayard, Emily Bauman, Sergeant Theodore France, Benjamin France, Daniel and Matthew Bradway, and 4 great granddaughters, Annabelle "Bella", Jessica Bayard, Athena France, and Dakota Bauman. He is also survived by a sister, Fran Gardella of West Concord, MA, and a brother, David Bartlett (Blanche) of Woodland, ME. He is preceded in death by his wife, Anna Bartlett, a brother, Robert Bartlett, and a sister, Joyce Bartlett, and his parents, William B. and Elisabeth Bartlett.
Bill attended grade schools in North Amherst, MA Sunderland, MA, Cushman, MA and high school in Amherst MA. After completing his junior year, he was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943, where he completed a course in airplane mechanics, gunnery school and flight engineer school. He was a flight engineer gunner on a B-24 bomber stationed in Italy flying 53 successful missions over southern Germany in 1944-1945.
While in the service, Bill met and married Anna O'Resky in Pueblo CO in 1945, this marriage lasted 62 years, ending in Ann's death in 2007.
Bill's lifelong dream was to own his own truck, and he became an owner operator of his own rig back in 1946; then Bill and Ann loaded up their two daughters, and took off from Colorado in July of 1947 to be on hand in Rupert, ID for the "Drawing" of names for the next available homesteads and Bill was not at all surprised when his name was drawn!!
Becoming a farmer was a whole new experience for Bill. Due to a medical problem Bill was unable to continue farming, so he rented the farm, and became a long line truck driver for Garrett Freightlines in 1963, moving his family to Pocatello, ID, where he worked until he retired in 1984. At this time, they moved back to the Rupert homestead.
After retiring Bill enjoyed spending many winters in sunny Yuma, AZ, dune buggying on the sand dunes south of Yuma. More recently Bill and Jean enjoyed being snowbirds, and going out on the desert in Bill's Baja buggy.
Bill served in many capacities in the Nazarene Church in Rupert and Pocatello, serving as a member of the Rupert Methodist Church, and also a member of the Desert Grace Church of the Nazarene in Yuma.
Memorial services will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 22, 2017 at the Rupert United Methodist Church 605 H St Rupert, Idaho. Urn Burial will be held 11:00 a.m. Monday July 24, 2017 at Idaho Boise Veterans Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Hansen Mortuary. Online condolences may be left at hansen-mortuary.com.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be sent to the memorial fund of wither the Rupert United Methodist Church or the Burley United Methodist Church.


Funeral Service
Date of Service: Jul. 22, 2017