1927
Mr.
2011
Mr. William Southerland
December 31, 1927 — July 19, 2011
William Robert Southerland, 83, passed away peacefully on July 19, 2011. A visitation will be held from 5-7 PM, Sunday, July 24, 2011 at D.W. Newcomer’s Sons Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM Monday, July 25, 2011 at Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS. Memorial contributions are suggested to Kansas City Hospice House 12000 Wornall Rd., Kansas City, MO or Atonement Lutheran Church.
William was born on December 31, 1927, in Plainview, Arkansas, to Samuel and Amma Southerland. He grew up in the Argentine district of Kansas City, Kansas and graduated from Argentine High School in 1945. He served in the Air Force as a corporal in 1947. He married Lois Larson on October 2, 1948. He was an engine foreman for the Santa Fe Railroad from 1945 to 1962. In 1955, he became a partner, with his good friend Eldon Cook, in Cook & Southerland Construction Company and spent the remainder of his career building and developing many single family homes and neighborhoods, culminating with the River Ridge Farms neighborhood in Stilwell, Ks., where he lived and worked closely with his friends and neighbors to help create a unique, tight knit community that he took great pride in. In 1970 he took a hiatus from his building activities to take the position of Area Director of the Housing and Urban Development for the federal government, which lasted until 1975. He was an active member of the Greater Kansas City Home Builders Association and held many of the offices and sat on many of the committees over the years. He also was a Life Member of the Mission Optimist Club. He was preceeded in death by his parents, his brother Carl Southerland and sisters, Mildred Weaver and Helen Schwalm. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Lois, of the home, sons, Randy Southerland(Kathy) and Jack Southerland, daughters, Karla Hand(Bob) and Deeann Seay(Danny), His sisters, Mary Ellen Holland and Martha Burkard, as well as ten grandchildren. Bud was the rock and foundation of our family. We all looked to him for strength and wisdom. He will be greatly missed. We love you Pop!
William was born on December 31, 1927, in Plainview, Arkansas, to Samuel and Amma Southerland. He grew up in the Argentine district of Kansas City, Kansas and graduated from Argentine High School in 1945. He served in the Air Force as a corporal in 1947. He married Lois Larson on October 2, 1948. He was an engine foreman for the Santa Fe Railroad from 1945 to 1962. In 1955, he became a partner, with his good friend Eldon Cook, in Cook & Southerland Construction Company and spent the remainder of his career building and developing many single family homes and neighborhoods, culminating with the River Ridge Farms neighborhood in Stilwell, Ks., where he lived and worked closely with his friends and neighbors to help create a unique, tight knit community that he took great pride in. In 1970 he took a hiatus from his building activities to take the position of Area Director of the Housing and Urban Development for the federal government, which lasted until 1975. He was an active member of the Greater Kansas City Home Builders Association and held many of the offices and sat on many of the committees over the years. He also was a Life Member of the Mission Optimist Club. He was preceeded in death by his parents, his brother Carl Southerland and sisters, Mildred Weaver and Helen Schwalm. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Lois, of the home, sons, Randy Southerland(Kathy) and Jack Southerland, daughters, Karla Hand(Bob) and Deeann Seay(Danny), His sisters, Mary Ellen Holland and Martha Burkard, as well as ten grandchildren. Bud was the rock and foundation of our family. We all looked to him for strength and wisdom. He will be greatly missed. We love you Pop!
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