William "Bill" E. Streeter

William “Bill” Streeter, 80, passed away on Friday, June 12th, at Via Christi Village, after a long and courageous battle with kidney failure. Bill was born on October 1939, in Clay Center, KS to Floyd R. and May Fern (Nemnich) Streeter. As a young child, Bill enjoyed playing baseball and bowling. He was a pinsetter in the lanes below the Idle Hour Club before the days of the automatic ones. He played basketball for one year in high school. In his spare time as an adult, he learned to play golf, still enjoyed bowling and was an excellent pool player. He loved playing any kind of cards, Yahtzee, crossword puzzles, and jigsaw puzzles. He also enjoyed watching any kind of sports on TV. He always had a gift of gab and a couple of jokes to tell. He was a fun guy. Bill graduated from Clay County Community High School with the class of 1957. He joined the Navy after graduation. He served four years in the Navy and received an honorable discharge. He was married while still in California to Mary Warrick, and they returned to Clay Center. He worked at Tasty Pasty Bakery. While in Clay Center, their first child, William Robert, was born. They moved to Junction City about nine months later, and he had a bakery delivery route. After a short time, they returned to California and later divorced. He then met and married Claudia Buffington of Mount Pleasant, IA. They had a son Jeffery, and Bill adopted Claudia’s son, Evan, from a previous marriage. This marriage also ended in divorce. Bill & Claudia remained good friends. Because Bill was on the road so much, Claudia was given custody of all of the boys. This allowed them to grow up together, and have Bill remain involved in their lives. Claudia was a wonderful person and will always be a part of our family as Bill would have wanted. Bill’s career as an independent encyclopedia salesman then started. He earned a number of sales awards throughout his career. He traveled extensively all over the United States and Hawaii. He loved Hawaii. Bill had lived at the Bicentennial Senior Apartments in Junction City, KS for the past seven years. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, his oldest son, a nephew and a great-nephew. Bill is survived by his ex-wife Claudia; his son Evan (Caroline) Harrogate, England; son Jeffery of Albuquerque, NM and son Ryan (Kellie) Ege of Aurora, CO; six grandkids and two great-grandkids. Also surviving are three siblings: Robert (Bev) Streeter, Marshalltown IA; Dottie Pokorney, Silver Lake, KS; and Rita (Corky) Acker, Topeka KS. Per Bill’s request, cremation will take place. Interment will be at a later date at Greenwood Cemetery at Clay Center, KS.