William Van (Bill) Overbey, age 92

Artist and long-time Advertising Manager of the Earl May Seed and Nursery Co.
Bill was born January 30, 1921 in Urich, Mo. to Will Noah (Red) and Grace (Langford) Overbey.
He received his education in central Missouri at Urich and graduated from high school at Appleton City High School in 1938. He then matriculated at the University of Missouri in Columbia. However, lack of funds caused him to leave after two years.
In 1940, he married Mary Louise Wallace of Holden, Mo. and they made their home in Warrensburg, where he was employed by Missouri Light and Power. In November, 1941, his oldest child, William (Sandy) was born. By 1942, the Overbeys had moved to Shenanadoah, Ia., where he was employed by the Nishna Valley Hatchery.
With World War II ongoing, he went to Omaha to enlist in the Marine Corp, however, since he had had some ROTC training in college, he was instead inducted into the Army and sent to Fort Sill, Okla. After Officers Training School he was assigned to an Artillery unit which was sent to the Pacific Theater, helping to liberate the Philippine Islands and Korea.
Following the war, the Overbeys returned to Shenandoah, where he eventually went to work at Earl May, where he remained employed until retirement except for a brief hiatus working in Puerto Rico.
Unfortunately, he lost Mrs. Overbey to an intestinal disease in 1978.
Following retirement he found more time to pursue special interests, especially Art, reading, and theater. He was a charter member of the Southwest Iowa Theater Group and enjoyed both performing and working behind the scenes.
A life-long avid reader, he especially enjoyed volunteering at the Shenandoah Public Library, and was honored with membership in the Iowa Volunteers Hall of Fame.
Another particular pleasure after retirement was working as a puppeteer for the Area Education Agency. In that capacity, he and a partner traveled throughout Southwest Iowa giving demonstrations on topics such as misuse of alcohol and domestic abuse in elementary schools.
However, his life-long love of Art was always his primary focus. He enjoyed all types of Art: cartooning, painting in oils and watercolor, and calligraphy, which he taught through Iowa Western Community College. He worked on art until he was physically unable to do so.
Mr. Overbey was preceded in passing by his parents, two sisters, Martha Merriman of Coronado, Ca., and Patricia Gilbert of Boulder, Co. and a granddaughter, Marisol Overbey of Kansas City. He is survived by his two sons, Sandy of Reston, Va., and Michael of Shenandoah, as well as three grandchildren, Christian Overbey of Denver, Michael Dean of Shenandoah, and Michelle of Dayton, Oh., and six great-grandchildren. A memorial service is planned for later.

Memorials should be directed to the Southwest Iowa Theater Group or the Friends of the Library.