William V. "Bill" Mosher Obituary (1923 - 2013)

William V. "Bill" Mosher, 90, of Bloomington, formerly of Mendota, Champaign, and Shelbyville, died on December 3, 2013 at Heartland Health Care Center in Normal.A visitation will be from 4-7 pm, Thursday at Carmody Flynn Williamsburg Funeral Home, Bloomington. His funeral service will be at 1 pm, Friday at Merritt Funeral Home, 800 Monroe Street, Mendota with a 1 hour visitation preceding the service. Interment will follow in Restland Cemetery, Mendota.Memorials may be made to Heifer International or The Gideons International.Bill was born June 10, l923 in Bernadotte Township, Fulton County, Illinois, a son of the late Oren and Margaret (Gore) Mosher. He married Donna Prescott October 3, l954 in Mendota. She survives.Other survivors include daughter Jane (Jeff) Turley, grandsons James and Jacob Turley of Bloomington, a sister Hazel Nelson of Deer Park, TX, nieces and nephews.He was preceded by an infant sister and older brother Joe.Bill was a graduate of Ipava High School in the class of 1940. He was a veteran of WW II. In 1942 he joined the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. This led to service in the European Theatre with the 9th Air Force, 391st Bomber Group, as a pilot of twin engine Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers and Douglas A-26 Invader attack bombers. He was awarded the Air Medal with one silver and two bronze oak leaves, the Distinguished Unit Citation, the European-African-Middle East Theatre Medal with four battle stars including the "Battle of the Bulge", the American Defense Medal and the Victory Medal. After that war he served as a pilot with the Illinois Air National Guards 169th Fighter Squadron.In 1950, he graduated from the Illinois State Police Academy and joined the state police as a trooper. He served through the ranks and in 1965 was promoted to captain as commander of Pesotum, District 10. In the course of his state police career he instructed on various aspects of law enforcement at their academy and served as chairman of several committees. He was a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Secret Service Dignitary Protection School. He retired from the state police at the end of 1978 and immediately joined the Champaign County Sheriffs Department as chief deputy. He retired in 1983 after thirty-three plus years in law enforcement to a home he and his beloved wife Donna built on the shore of Lake Shelbyville. In 1998 they moved to Bloomington to be near family.Bill was an avid reader and had traveled extensively. He was a member of the United Church of God, Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation, Illinois Assn. Chiefs of Police, and American Legion Louis E. Davis Post No. 56. He delighted in his family, friends and church.