(Veteran Flag)

William “Bill” Armstead Mines, 76, of North Bend, died Sunday, June 8, 2003, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Funeral services were Wednesday, June 11, at the United Presbyterian Church in North Bend, with the Rev. Don Botic officiating. Interment was in North Bend’s Woodland Cemetery with military graveside services conducted by members of American Legion Post No. 340 of Morse Bluff, VFW Post No. 8223 and Am Vets Post No. 20, both of North Bend.

William A Mines was born Feb. 18, 1927, in North Bend to Julius C. and Hazel (Armstead) Mines. He graduated from North Bend High School in 1944 and joined the Navy that same year, serving in WWII.

On Oct. 29, 1949 he married Dorothy Vopalensky of Morse Bluff.

Mr. Mines was a rural mail carrier with the United States Postal Service, and retired in 1982 after 30 years of service. Music was his passion, and his specialties were the bass, valve trombone, and vocals. He spent 30 years with the Meltones dance trio, and in later years he played with the Norrie Egger Combo and other area dance groups.

He was a member of the Unite Presbyterian Church at North Bend, was a life member of V.F.W. Post No. 8223 of North Bend, American Legion Post No. 340 of Morse Bluff, and Jeffrey K. Mines Am Vets Post No. 20 of North Bend.

He is survived by his wife Dorothy, sons and daughters-in-law, Mick and Katie Mines of Blair, Randy and Chanda Mines of Anchorage, Alaska, and Barry and Poo Mines of Lexington, Va.; five grandchildren; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Charlotte Ramsey of Whittier, Calif., and Shirley and Frank Brabec of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and mother-in-law, Clara Vopalensky of North Bend.

He was preceded in death by a son, Lt. Cdr. Jeff Mines.

Memorials are suggested to the North Bend Community Foundation and may be ear marked for the North Bend/Morse Bluff Area Veteran’s Memorial Park.

Moser Memorial Chapel was in charge of arrangements.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~