William H. Chrouser

William Harvey Chrouser, known as Bill, or Dr. Bill in later years, was born January 22, 1940, in Sterling, KS to Dorothy and Harvey Chrouser. The oldest of 3 children, Bill was the "man of the house" at the age of four when his father went to the Navy during WWII.

Bill grew up in Wheaton, IL attending Christian schools from grade school to college. Bill was a conscientious student but with a severe stutter was often overlooked for all of his hard work.

In 1958, Bill began attending Wheaton College and in 1961, he met Donna Nohr at a Summer Science camp. In 1963, the two married on June 14th. To their marriage, a daughter, Heidi Jean was born in 1966 and in 1974, William Daniel completed their little family.

The most significant event in his life was at 4 years, he prayed to receive Jesus as his personal Savior. He remained steadfast to his faith, his family and to each church that he attended.

His love of sports, the outdoors and the Native American peoples were often topics that would launch him into stories filled with all of the details that he had read and experienced. His family learned not to ask him a question unless they had the 30 or 40 minutes to listen to the origin, development and multitude of details he needed to share. We often forgot the question meanwhile.

After overcoming his stutter, he loved to tell stories, act out stories and draw people to his Lord through story, sermon or first person re-enactment.

Bill contracted CLL in 2007 and fought the good fight until May, 2010 when his disease progressed to lymphoma. On October 23rd at 1:00 pm, he took wing and left his wife Donna of 47 years, his daughter Heidi, her husband Scott, his granddaughters Heather and Kim, his son Billy and his sister in law to grieve our loss and rejoice in his Victory in Jesus.

Bill's careers revolved around teaching young people at Barrington College in Rhode Island for ten years where he was as a young man, mentored by Dr. Harold Snyder, the Department of Science Chairman. This relationship remains until today.

Next, Bill and Donna were modern day pioneers, teachers at a two-room school in the western mountains of Colorado on Piceance Creek which is Ute for tall grass. The stories of living 43 miles to the nearest town are never ending.

The most spiritually challenging teaching experience was at a boarding school in the heart of Mormon Land, in Utah.

The last sixteen years, Bill taught science at the now Warner University. Bill, who never said a negative comment about anyone or anything scared the family when he gently hinted the college campus wasn't traditional looking. He didn't have the nerve to tell us it looked like an old single wide trailer park. We soon learned and then realized how king he really was. Praise the Lord, he lived to see the present "real looking" university.

Bill is survived by his 97 - 1/2 year old mother, Dorothy (Dot) Chrouser of Carroll Stream, IL; his brother, Dr. Daniel Robert Chrouser and his wife Barbara recently retired missionaries to South Africa, and their daughter; his sister Jean Burkhardt and her husband Paul, missionaries in Indonesia and their 4 children, spouses and children. His wife, Donna, his daughter Heidi Grogg and husband Scott and their 2 daughters, Heather and Kim, of Baltimore, MD; his son William Daniel Chrouser of Orlando; his sister in law Elizabeth Nohr of Lake Wales; and numerous other relatives and friends too numerous to recount.

Contributions may be made in memory of Bill to the Men's Ministries of First Baptist Church in Lake Wales or the First Church of God in Middle River, Missions Fund.

Viewing will be held from 10:00 AM until the funeral service at 11:00 AM, Thursday, October 28, 2010 at the First Baptist Church in Lake Wales with Rev. Scott Markley officiating. Interment will follow at the Lake Wales Cemetery.

To view the webcast of his service, please click link below:
http://webcasts.lifetributes.com/174192