William Buller

William Buller, 85, of Crystal Lake, Illinois, passed away on February 20, 2019 after succumbing to congestive heart failure.  He was born "Willie Buller" September 7, 1933 in Hutchinson, Kansas to Heinrich "Henry" Benjamin Buller and Anna Dora (Balzer) Buller.

Bill graduated from Buhler Rural High School in Kansas, class of 1951 then went on to graduate from Bethel College, a Mennonite school, in Newton, Kansas in 1956. Bill married Eleanor (Gilbertson) Buller on January 29, 1966 in Denver, CO. They met when a snow storm forced them to hunker down at a party at a mutual friend's apartment.

In his professional life, Bill worked as a hydrogeologist (groundwater specialist) for the National Geologic Survey in the Finger Lakes region of New York, oil field surveyors in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.  In retirement, he volunteered to serve the homeless through Bethany Lutheran Church and enjoyed woodworking, birding, and consuming anything related to Westerns and politics.

Bill is survived by his loving wife Ellie; his children Jennifer, Kara and Matthew; his granddaughter, Cassandra; many nieces and nephews; his brother Jim (Mona Rae), of Brighton, CO and his sister-in-law, Barbara Gilbertson. He was preceded in death by his mother and father.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, February 27th, from 11 am until the time of a funeral service at 12 noon at Bethany Lutheran Church, 76 W. Crystal Lake Ave., Crystal Lake.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to water.org or to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.