William "Bill" Raymond Schneider

William R. Schneider, age 99 of Waupun, passed away on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at Prairie Ridge Assisted Living Center.

Bill was born on October 1, 1921, the son of Fred and Anna (Rake) Schneider of Beaver Dam, WI. He received his education in the Beaver Dam School system, graduating from Beaver Dam High School, class of 1939, where he was a two-sport letterman. After graduation Bill worked in construction work.

When Pearl Harbor occurred, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, serving on a destroyer for 4 years, seeing action in all 3 areas of conflict, attaining the rate of Chief Gunner’s mate. After his discharge in 1946, he returned to Beaver Dam where he married Mildred Kolb. While in Beaver Dam he was player manager of the Beaver Dam City baseball team, playing in Rock River League. Bill worked for Monarch Range until moving to Brandon, WI in 1949. In 1951, he was appointed to the position of Rural Letter Carrier, R1. out of Brandon, a position he held for 30 years, retiring in 1981.

Bill was quite active in community affairs. He was the village treasurer for 23 years. He was the past president of the Grand Kiwanis Club, and also the past president of St. Brenden’s Catholic Church council. He was also a well known sports official in the Brandon and Fond du Lac area.

He and his wife, Mildred, became winter visitors to Arizona, commonly known as “snowbirds”. After Mildred’s death in 1990, Bill continued to be a winter visitor, where he became quite active in American Legion affairs. For 20 continuous years Bill served as Post, District and Area Chaplain. In 2005, he was appointed Department of Arizona Chaplain, a post he held for 4 years. About that time Bill formed a musical group called “The Sweet Sounds”, playing in different venues in the valley.

Bill also was a member of a showgroup patterned after the TV show “Mash” which raised $45, 000 which was donated to the building of the WWII memorial. He was also selected to take part in the “Honor Flight” which flew WWII veterans to Washington D.C. to view the memorial. In 1992, Bill married an Arizona native, Betty Beck. She joined Bill in being active in Legion affairs. Upon Betty’s death on Christmas Day, 2012, because of infirmities suffered from a stroke, Bill decided to return to Wisconsin to be with his family, taking up residence at Prairie Ridge Assisted Living Center in Waupun.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, 1 sister, Viola, his dear wives, Mildred and Betty and other relatives and dear friends.

Bill is survived by 2 sons, Dr. Todd Schneider, O.D. and his wife, Marg of Three Lakes and Jeffrey and his wife, Kathy of Brandon; 2 grandsons, Ryan and his wife Crystal and Jason and his wife Amanda all of Hartland, WI; 5 great-grandchildren, Sophie, Josie, Evelyn, Renn and Reid.

A memorial service for Bill will take place at a later date.