William Junior Thackeray

William Junior Thackeray left those he loved to rejoin the one he loved best, his beloved Elsie Jean. William was born March 15, 1933 to Horace and Margaret Thackeray, amidst the mountains that wrapped round the valley of Croydon, UT where he grew up. It was the land he loved and filled with the family that made it home; older siblings, Roy, George, and Renee, followed by three younger siblings, Ralph, Ramona, and Samuel. A stand-out in athletics, Bill went on to play basketball at Weber State. When duty to country called Bill to enter the service; he answered the call, serving a peacekeeping mission in Japan. While in the service he became pen pals with Elsie Jean Gale and fell in love with her through their correspondence. On his return to the states, he used his good looks, persuasion skills and perseverance to secure her agreement to wed him on September 20, 1955 in the Logan Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Eventually Bill and his brothers made a new family home in the Scott Valley of California, building the Crystal Creek Ranch and eventually adding a dairy to the operation. Bill was a beacon of stamina and hard work; his strong shoulders supported family and community, and taught so many how to square their own. His proudest achievements and evidence of his devotion were family and God. He faithfully served those he loved through countless hours of service in his family, in his church congregation, in the valley, and abroad while serving two LDS missions in Nigeria, where he and Elsie developed a great love and admiration for those humble but strong people. Bill has been waiting to rejoin his love, Elsie, since her passing in 2011. Complications of stroke, Alzheimer's and old age resulted in Bill’s final breath and reunion with his beloved Elsie on February 2, 2015. He is survived by their nine children: Michael, Kerry, Michelle (Clark), Ben, Jon, Christopher, Elizabeth (Rohrbacher), Mark and Steven, each of their spouses, thirty-two grandchildren, and forty-eight great-grandchildren, and three more on the way (many whom sport the same red hair Bill had in his younger years). The viewing will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2015 at 2:30. The funeral service, under the care of Girdner’s Funeral Chapel, will follow at 3:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Etna, California.

William Junior Thackeray

March 15, 1933 - February 2, 2015