William "Bill" Landers

Survived by children: David Landers, Pamela Landers, Patricia Landers, Darrel Landers

Survived by stepchildren: Clayton Allison, Daniel (Jane) Allison and their children; grandchildren: Chris Hammitt, Valerie Hammitt, Michael Hammitt; great-grandchild: Iva Hammitt-Kess.

Survived by siblings: John (Bev) Landers, Frances Syverson, Mary (Dale) Gratz; brother-in-law Filby Williamson; many nieces and nephews.

Pre-deceased by: parents Dan & Alma, sisters Cecelia Christopherson and Lucy Williamson, brother Daniel James Landers II, brothers-in-law Dick Christopherson, Elroy Syverson, sister-in-law Jeanne Landers.

Bill was born a farmer, but worked as a mechanic throughout his life. He always had a very snazzy car. He specialized in repairing Plymouth-Chryslers, but never thought they were any good. He usually owned red Chevy’s, which he would wax until they sparkled.

Bill was born a farmer and in his heart and soul he was always a farmer. He bought, fixed, and thoroughly enjoyed vintage tractors, usually Farmalls, but now and again a Case or a John Deere would sneak into the mix.

Bill and Bonnie and family spent many weekends camping out and waterskiing, usually with Johnny and Bev and their kids or other extended family. He taught many of us how to ski and delighted in trying to make us wipeout. Winters were made for snowmobiling and careening across the ice.

Bill lived next to the airport in Minneapolis for 27 years, and we spent lot of time watching the planes from his front yard. He married Jan and acquired Danny & Clay and all of the neighborhood kids in the bargain.

Much time was spent on each of his cabins, which were rubble when he started and palaces by the time he sold them. Everyone remembers hours, days, weeks spent putting in basements, building garages, painting fences, and more.

Bill could fix anything and resisted replacing items that were “still good”. He paid cash for everything and could not fathom that mortgages are no longer $200.00. He could simultaneously fight both sides of any argument and would always win.

Bill’s house was always impeccable. There was never a dirty dish in the sink. Moving his house possessions from one place to another was easy, but moving stuff from the garages and outbuildings was a killer.

Bill wore the same size clothing his entire adult life. Bill helped all of kids get their initial cars and maintain them. Cars were passed down in the family like old blue jeans. He bought a new 1978 Monte Carlo which was subsequently owned by almost every family member.

When he was 75 and lived in Princeton, he locked his garage keys in his garage. He managed to shimmy up to the roof, dangle down through the hole in the roof for the stove pipe, and drop to the floor, narrowly avoiding impaling himself on his floor jack, all to save a buck and not call a locksmith.

Bill moved place to place with tax avoidance in mind and always threatened to move to South Dakota just for the taxes.

Bill moved into memory care two years ago. After about a year of fighting, and swearing up and down that he would escape and buy a truck and get his license back and move to South Dakota and not tell us where he went, he adapted to his home at the Alton. He liked to flirt with the young aides there, and to mercilessly tease anyone who was assigned to his dinner table.

Bill was always smiling and laughing and teasing and seemed pretty darned happy the last year or so of his life. He talked and talked and would laugh and laugh, until everyone else laughed in turn.

He taught all of his kids to appreciate bonfires and to fight over who would get to be the fire boss. Frequently, he would charge up one of his old tractors and push entire trees into the fire, much as we tried to prevent it. We spent many evenings at his house in Iowa watching the corn grow, watching the fireflies, soaring 40’ into the air in his man lift, and happily drinking beer and intentionally throwing the beer cans all over his yard, just so he could clean them up in the morning, complaining the whole time.

Bill helped many people in his life, usually grumbling about it, but still doing it. He liked to mow his lawn at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning, and to shovel at the very first sign of snow. Bill worked all the time. He loved to work and to putter in his garage. He was very social and enjoyed shooting the breeze with friends, family, exchange students, foreign visitors and strangers at the local café. He could always find the cheapest local place for breakfast, no matter where he lived.

Bill was 100% Irish and was very proud of it. His grandfather, Patrick Landers, immigrated from Ireland and he would not let us forget it.

Bill helped a lot of people, and left good memories behind. Bill never liked to touch or say he loved you. He preferred to flip you off, shrug you off, push you off, but he was smiling when he did it, and he grew to not only appreciate the hugs and accept them, but to offer them.

Visitation will begin at 2:30pm until time of service at 3pm on Saturday, June 13, 2020 at Gearhart Funeral Home, 11275 Foley Blvd NW, Coon Rapids. An Irish Wake and bonfire will take place after the funeral services in his honor.