William "Bill" James Blaue, 84, of Laddonia, passed away at 4 p.m. on Thursday November 10, 2022, at Boone Hospital in Columbia.

Funeral services will be Monday at 10 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Wellsville with Pastor Luke Wolters officiating. Burial will follow at Wellsville Cemetery.

Visitation will be Sunday from 3 – 6 p.m. at the church. Myers Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Bill was born June 20, 1938, in Montgomery County, Missouri. He was the son of Herbert Alvin and Erma Elizabeth (Alderson) Blaue. On March 4, 1957, in Mexico, he married Sandra "Sandy" Marie Ahrens who survives.  They celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary last March with many friends and family attending.

Bill graduated from Community R-6 in 1956. He was a livestock and grain farmer.  His Angus cow herd and hog operation were his pride.  He enjoyed checking his cows, especially when they were calving.  He was proud of the beef his calves produced.  He became a pig owner at the age of five and had a pig herd until the day he died.  He enjoyed hunting, especially deer and pheasant hunting.  He was grateful to the Bill Gastler family for the number of years hunting pheasants together in Kansas.  The love and friendship shared between his family and the Gastler family was very important to him.  He sincerely loved fishing.  He was proud of his ambition to catch a mess of fish each month.  He was able to attain that goal for 238 consecutive months. He also enjoyed playing cards with friends and neighbors, collecting antique tractors and International tools.  Above all, his favorite thing was spending time with his family, especially the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was known by many as "the candy man" because he always had mints in his pocket to share.

He was a faithful member of Grace Lutheran Church.  He seldom missed a Sunday service.  He was a past board member of the Wellsville Rural Fire Department, Commissioner of the Wellsville Special Road District, and a member of the Wellsville-Middletown Young Farmers.

In addition to his wife Sandy, survivors include one son, William Terry James (Juliann) Blaue, of Wellsville; one son-in-law, Tim Bertels, of Martinsburg; two daughters, Cindy Louise (Sam) Fort, of Wellsville, and Shirley Marie (Joe) Harby, of Middletown; one brother, Dale (Judy) Blaue, of Wellsville; ten grandchildren, Chris (Christin) Fort, of Genesee, Idaho, Kenny (Beth Martin) Fort, of Fulton, Samantha (Derek) Bohr, of Martinsburg, Jessica (Mark Thiele) Blaue, of Montgomery City, Elizabeth (Chris) Sommer, of House Springs, Mo., Crystal (Zack) Uthe, of Eldon, Erin (Andrew) VanAlstine, of Martinsburg, Clayton Harby, of Peoria, Ill., Elaina (Ayrn) Knipfel, of Martinsburg, and Pamela (Will) Byrne, of Bridgeton, Mo.; 19 great-grandchildren, Mason and Lena Fort, Lake, Braden, and Evan Fort, Evelyn Foster, Pearson and Peyton Bohr, Mya and Gracie Ostmann, Logan Sommer, Adaline and Lane Uthe, Sawyer, Wil, and Amelia VanAlstine, and Emmersyn, Chase, and Ensley Knipfel.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one daughter, Kathy Elaine Bertels; two sisters, Myrna Rodgers, and Cheryl Clark.

Memorials may be given to Grace Lutheran Church. They may be sent in care of Myers Funeral Home, 203 E. Bates Street, Wellsville, MO 63384.