SPRINGDALE — William Edwin Meuser,

Springdale, Ark., was born on Aug. 27, 1932, in Champaign, Ill., to Herman P. and Viola (Barringer) Meuser. He passed away on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Ark., at the age of 87 from covid-19.

Bill will be laid to rest in a private graveside service at Maplewood Cemetery in Rantoul, Ill., on Saturday, June 27, 2020. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at a later date in Arkansas for family and friends.

Bill married Norwista Gault in Wichita Falls, Texas. They were blessed with a daughter Cinda Freitas on Feb. 4, 1958. Norwista passed away in February of 1971. In December of 1973, he met Pansy Bolain Gastineau. They were together for 47 years until his death.

Bill was a proud veteran having served in the U.S. Army for two years. After the Army, Bill worked on pipelines across the United States operating heavy equipment. It was during this time he picked up the nickname “Yank” and most old-timers still called him that. He owned and operated Meuser Material and Equipment, which started with him moving the earth to build large projects in Northwest Arkansas. Eventually he changed the business to buying and selling heavy equipment parts. Bill and Pansy traveled all over the world buying heavy equipment parts for the business. They were both avid travelers and at the age of 51 Bill obtained his pilot’s license and a plane.

Bill was involved with many fundraising projects around the Northwest Arkansas area and was awarded The Man with 40,000 Sweethearts from Beta Alpha Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and involved with the Elks Lodge. He loved doing large barbecues for family and friends, politics, roller skating, dancing and going to the casino. Bill took every opportunity to journey to Lake Taneycomo and fish for rainbow trout.

He is survived by his daughter, Cinda Freitas of Fayetteville, Ark.; Pansy’s children, Brenda (Dennis) Williams of Weatherford, Okla., Gwen (Robert) Edmundson of Pea Ridge, Ark., and Wayne (JoAnna) Gastineau of Rogers, Ark.; his nephew, Fred (Lisa) Magers of Paxton, Ill., who was more like a son to him and nephews Chuck Magers of Vallejo, Calif., Chris Meuser of Wake Forrest, N.C., and Greg Meuser of Florida.

Also surviving are grandchildren Christopher Freitas of Palm Springs, Calif., Laurin Dragomire of Mexico and Christopher Elderton of Springdale, Ark. He is also survived by Pansy’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother James Meuser; daughter Melinda Meuser; daughter Linda Elderton; and brother-in-law Elmer Magers.

After Bill passed away on June 9, 2020, Pansy also died from covid-19 on June 12, 2020, and his sister, DeLoris Meuser Magers, followed them in death from covid-19 on June 16, 2020.

Local arrangements are by Nelson Berna Funeral Home.

To place an online tribute, visit www.nelsonberna.com.