William James Schoville

William J. Schoville, age 92, of Tellico Plains, (Coker Creek) TN, was overjoyed to enter into Heaven on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Bill passed away from natural causes. He resided for the last six months at Madisonville Health and Rehab in Madisonville, TN.

He accomplished many things in his 92 years. Bill attended Minnesota Bible College and Lincoln Christian College. He was a minister for over 25 years serving congregations in Ambia/Tab (4years) Indiana, Springerton (3 years), St. Joseph (12 years), and Mahomet (6 years) Illinois, and Webster City (4 years) Iowa. He also filled in as minister in Tempe, Arizona. Bill headed groups that established a Christian Campus House and His Place Ministries at the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana, Christian Men’s Fellowship which helped build 19 churches with volunteers and Illini Christian Children’s Home. In Iowa he headed the first Iowa State Christian Convention and Christian Campus House, Iowa State University, Ames. He was the minister to many young people, including three young men who became Christian College Presidents.

He obtained his private pilot’s license in his 40’s. Later in life he received awards for selling Golden Rule Insurance and to the delight of his grandchildren, opened his own Baskin Robbins store. In his 70’s he was building houses with his son David in Colorado. In his 80’s he traveled around the states of Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia doing insurance inspections on many houses.

Bill attended Ironsburg Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church while living in Tellico Plains for over 20 years.

He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Frieda Schoville; sisters, Marge Dietz and Betty McCabe; and brother, John Schoville.

He is survived by his sweetheart wife of 72 years, Mary Schoville. They met as teenagers while attending church camp. Bill wrote his mother from camp that he had just met the girl he was going to marry. This started a tradition of two other generations meeting their spouses at church camp.

Other survivors include his sister and spouse, Norma (William) Wisen; brother-in-law, Melvin McCabe; and sister-in-law, Bonnie Schoville; four children and spouses, Debbie (Bill) Clark, David (Lillie) Schoville, Patty Schoville, and Penny (Arnold) Schaufler; nine grandchildren and spouses, Rachel Williams, Billy (Jennifer) Clark, Andy (Lisa) Clark, Rebecca (John) DeLuca, Joshua Schoville, Ben (Jayne) Schoville, Ryan (Lori) Schaufler, Casey (Sally) Schaufler, and Josh (Cori) Carnahan; 15 great-grandchildren and spouse, Nathan (Rianna) Williams, Eric Williams, Jewelia and Maegan Clark, Madilyn, Jeremiah and William Clark, Lilliana, Jameson, and Jackson DeLuca, Rosalind Schoville, Heidi and Eliza Carnahan, and Abigail and Josiah Schaufler.

A big thanks to the many caregivers that helped him in the last couple years of his life at the home of his daughter, Debbie! Thank you to Madisonville Health and Rehab for the wonderful care. Also a big thank you to Myers Funeral Home, Tellico Plains for going above and beyond.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00p.m. Friday, April 29, 2022 at Smoky Mountain Christian Camp Chapel. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in memory of Bill to Smoky Mountain Christian Camp 157 Church Camp Rd. Tellico Plains, TN 37385.