William Edward Sellers

William Edward Sellers of Emporia died on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at Newman Regional Health, Emporia.  He was 97.

Bill was born on October 21, 1920 in Emporia, Kansas the son of Charles and Ruth Sonnedecker Sellers.  He married Margaret “Marge” Elizabeth Cooke on May 13, 1944 in Ocala, Florida.  She died on October 3, 2017 in Emporia.

Surviving family members include: son, Ron Sellers and wife Becky of Emporia; brother, Norman Sellers of Pennsylvania, and several nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, wife, and brother Paul Warren Sellers.

Bill was a watchmaker having graduated from the Elgin watchmaker college. He was an airplane pilot and as such was awarded the FAA Master Pilot Certificate.  Bill’s service in the United States Army started in World War II working on the Norden bombsight and later as a fighter pilot.  After the war he was assigned to the field artillery.  Before retirement from the Army in 1973 he taught at the Command and General Staff school at Ft. Riley.  He owned and operated Sellers Jewelry Store in Emporia and retired from that in 1986.  Bill was a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Emporia.  He was a member of the Emporia Masonic Lodge #12, Scottish Rite, Order of Eastern Star, and Arab Shriners.  Bill was a member of Ball-McColm Post #5 American Legion, Lowry Funston Post #1980 Veteran of Foreign Wars and a faithful member of the Rusty Zippers coffee group.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Monday October 8, 2018 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church with masonic honors by Emporia Masonic Lodge #12.  Burial will follow at Memorial Lawn Cemetery with military honors by Ball-McColm Post #5 American Legion, and Lowry Funston Post #1980 Veteran of Foreign Wars.  Visitation will be Sunday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.  Memorial contributions to the Arab Shrine Children Travel fund can be sent in care of the funeral home. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of William Edward Sellers, please visit our flower store.