William “Bill” Mulder was born on July 2, 1928 to Amelia (Gettman) and George Mulder. He grew up on Park Street in Lincoln, and went to Lincoln High School. He had a great childhood. His family heritage is German (from Russia). Bill was athletic, and loved sports, especially basketball and hockey. He played hockey on a local pond and was a very good skater. He loved going to the Husker Football Games, starting as early as the 1940’s and continuing through the 1990’s. He worked in the family business at the Standard Planing Mill. They did finish wood work for places like the Gateway Mall, St. Paul’s Church and the Governor’s Mansion in Lincoln. Bill graduated in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska. He was commissioned during the Korean War in the Army Corps of Engineers. He was assigned as a Platoon Leader in the 84th Engineer Construction Battalion, who styled themselves as the “Conquerors of the Imjin River” and supervised men building the Libby bridge across the Imjin River.
Shortly thereafter, Bill met his wife, Bonnie, and they married in 1955. Bonnie was a librarian and an elementary school teacher. They married and had three children: Barbara, Gary and Pamela. Bill has one grandson, Will, named after him. Bill was a loving and faithful family man. He and Bonnie loved golfing, biking, hiking, bird watching and camping. They spent family vacations near Estes Park, Colorado, hiking and enjoying the mountains. Bill and Bonnie later purchased a camper and camped for weeks at a time. Dad also loved to play card games like double solitaire, bridge and cribbage. Dad has always had a dog and enjoyed cats. Bill supported his son Gary’s cycling career by volunteering to be the United States Cycling Federation representative for Nebraska. He enjoyed following Gary’s amateur and then professional cycling career. He enjoyed his later years at the Independence House and was known for always being very polite and having a good sense of humor.
His loving wife, Bonnie, passed away in February 2004. Bill is survived by his daughters Barb Ferguson (special friend Garry Lindner), of Lincoln and Pamela Forster (her husband Mark) and their son Will Forster, of Waverly; and son Gary Mulder of Boulder, CO; extended family and friends. Bill was preceded in death by parents, wife Bonnie, brother Richard and sister Jeanne Bowers.
A Celebration of Bill’s Life will be held from 5:00-8:00 p.m., on Wednesday, (3/8) in the Roper and Sons Reception Facility, 4300 ‘O’ Street, Lincoln. Please park in the West Lot of the Funeral Home. No viewing/cremation.
Memorials may be given in Bill’s name to the Capital Humane Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.