Willis 'Bill' Maahs

Willis “Bill”  Maahs, age 91 passed away December 27, 2021 at Ambassador Health in Lincoln.
A memorial service will be held January 5, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at Messah Lutheran Church in Aurora. The family will greet family and friends from 9-10 a.m.  A private family inurement will be held at a later date.  Memorials may be made to the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department or the American Legion Post 42 Baseball program.
Willis “Bill” Maahs, the son of George and Edna (Keeker) Maahs was born April 16, 1930 in Whittemore, Iowa and passed away December 27, 2021, at age 91.
Bill spent the majority of his adult life calling Aurora his home.  He was raised on the family farm in Whittemore, Iowa and graduated from Whittemore High School in 1948.  Bill served in the U.S. Army from January, 1952 to December, 1953.
On January 24, 1959, Bill married Darlene Rudolph in Grand Island; they would have celebrated 63 years of wedded bliss.  To this union, two children were born: Pamela Marie and Randy Willis.  
Bill’s career started out building grain elevators after his discharge throughout the midwest.  His last project was the Feedmill at the Aurora Coop Elevator.  In 1962, he joined the Aurora Coop Elevator holding many job titles.  Bill retired from the Coop in 1996.  While living in Aurora, he volunteered with the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department holding the rank of Fire Chief from 1976-1988, retiring in 2007.  After retirement Bill worked for Snoberger Farms and the City of Aurora as the groundskeeper at Mitchell Field.  He was very proud of the ball field and hosting Legion districts and state tourneys.  In 2010, Bill and Darlene ventured to Kississimee, FL to be close to their granddaughter and returned to Grand Island in late 2011 due to Darlene’s health.
Bill’s greatest joys of life was spending time with his family, and was so proud of their accomplishments.  He will always be remembered as hard-working, humble and willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed help.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, and five siblings: Donald, Robert, Richard, Julie and Eileen.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Darlene of Grand Island, two children; Pamela Swazo of Lincoln and Randy Maahs (Heaven Hall) of Aurora; three grandchildren, Nichole Swazo of Dacula, GA, Erik (Paige) Swazo of Lincoln and Justin (Hillary) Ferris of Archer; five great-grandchildren, Mikayln of Tallahassee, FL, Saniyah and Kingsley of Dacula, GA and Eli and Owen of Archer.  He is also survived by siblings:  Kathleen Gade of West Bend, IA, Marilyn (Merlyn) Dietrick of Mallard, IA, Ellen Manley of McAllen, TX and Paul (LeAnn) Maahs of Rogers, MN.  Others left to remember Bill are his sister-in-laws: Maxine Burke of Grand Island, Renae Chelweski of Hershey and Lucille Marsh of Kearney, and brother-in-law Sonny (Bonnie) Sekutera of Loup City, and many nieces, nephews and friends.