William Bardwell

William Alton Bardwell was said to have been brought into this world by the witch instead of the stork, given that he was born October 31, 1934. It would appear that, true to fashion, he chose to depart with her as well. He left to go home to his heavenly father on October 10, 2024.

William was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi during the height of the Great Depression to Audrey Jenkins and John Bardwell. He was the second of nine children, eight boys and one girl. He grew up on the farm, but left at 17 to enlist in the Air Force where he served proudly for over two decades before retiring honorably to make his home in Bossier City, Louisiana.

In 1952, on a bus to Montgomery Alabama he met a woman who would become his wife for 42 years. Berteel White Wilcher and he hit it right off, and he asked her to marry him not long after. She would stay with him until the end of her life in 1994. Together they brought three children into the world: Mary Carol, Linda Diane, and William Jr, all of whom went back to their heavenly father before him, though Linda had two children before her untimely passing: Renee Michelle, who William and Berteel adopted and raised as their own, and Dennis Wayne, who was raised by his cousin.

In addition to Renee, his granddaughter who he adopted and raised as his own, he is survived by grandson Dennis Wayne. Renee brought him three grandchildren, Lucas, Lex and Liliana Wiseman with her husband Timothy. Dennis also brought him two Great Grandchildren; Avalyn and Elijah Wayne with his wife Catelyn.

In his golden years, after Berteel went to her heavenly rest, William was blessed with another woman who he married and spent 17 happy years with: BA Allen Bardwell. Though they shared no children, they did share a life of happiness, gardening, and RVing together. She passed away in January 2016 after a long illness.

Needless to say, he had a wonderful homecoming waiting for him when he went home with that witch on Oct 10.

William’s legacy will be one of family and love as he got to spend his final years with his daughter Renee and his grandchildren. He was incredibly loving and close with all of them right up to the end. Though he’s gone, he won’t be forgotten.

I love you Daddy, till we meet again