William L. "Bill" Williams, lifelong rural Burlington, Kansas, resident, passed away Thursday, October 8, 2020, at the Burlington Life Care Center.

Bill was born June 15, 1928, in Burlington, the son of Harry L. and Mary C. (Meyer) Williams. He graduated from Burlington High School and earned a Bachelors Degree in Milling from Kansas State University. Bill returned to Burlington and has been farming since then.

Bill met the love of his life, Rosemary Newman, at a local baseball game with the oh so original line of "Haven't I met you somewhere before?". Soon they were in a long distance relationship (Burlington/Topeka) and on one date Bill ran out of gas and in Rosemary's mind she was thinking "Yea Right". They were married on July 13, 1952, at Virgil, Kansas. They made their home on their farm east of Burlington.

Bill was a member of the Burlington United Methodist Church. He was a very successful farmer with Rosemary by his side.  He was active in the community – school board, board of directors at the old bank and a member of the Rock Creek Country Club.  Bill had a wicked sense of humor that sometimes came out in a slight, crooked grin and a gleam in his eyes.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He leaves Rosemary, his loving wife of more than 68 years; his children, Tim Williams and wife Cindy Hildebrand, and Linda Graber and her husband Kevin, all of Burlington; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and his brother, Ron Williams and wife Sherrill of Forsythe, MO.

Graveside services will be held 1:00 P.M. Tuesday, October 13, 2020, at Pleasant Hill Cemetery east of Burlington.

Bill will lie in state Monday until 5:00 P.M. at Jones Funeral Home in Burlington.

Memorial contributions may be made to Kansas State University School of Agriculture, the Audubon Society, or the Burlington United Methodist Church and may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home, PO Box 277, Burlington, KS 66839.