William Richard Wambsganss

William Richard Wambsganss passed away on Sunday, October 18, 2020 in Cedar Park, Texas.  William Richard Wambsganss, 85, was born on July 4th, 1935 in Fall River, Kansas to George and Eleanor Wambsganss.  He was born on a farm and lived there throughout his childhood.  At the young age of five years old, William Richard received Christ as his personal Savior and this would change the course of his life forever.  In 1941 he surrendered to preach the gospel and was ordained at the age of sixteen with his father who had also surrendered to the ministry.

At the age of eighteen, “Bro. Bill” as he was now called, started working at the Wichita Baptist Tabernacle as an intern and that’s where he met his first love, Norma Luella Smith.  A year later they were married.  At the same time “Bro. Bill” accepted his first pastorate at Bible Baptist Church in Eureka, Kansas.  The majority of his ministry was spent pastoring two churches.  “Bro. Bill” pastored the Bible Baptist Church in Dodge City, Kansas for twenty-two years.  He then pastored the Westside Baptist Church in Bremerton, Washington for twenty years. 

In 1994, after being married for thirty-eight years, the love of his life, Norma, died and went to heaven while he was pastoring in Bremerton.  “Bro. Bill” met Sharon Bates, the widow of a pastor friend, and they fell in love and married in 1995.  “Bro. Bill” always said Sharon was his second blessing. They ministered in Bremerton for seven more years after they were married.

After “Bro. Bill” retired from the ministry at the age of 67, he continued to do evangelism for the next decade.  Sharon and “Bro. Bill” were married for almost twenty-two years when she died on December 11, 2016.

“Bro. Bill” spent the last four years of his life living in Texas with his daughter, Becky Lewis where he attended Heritage Baptist Church in Georgetown, Texas.  He loved, spending three hours a day praying for everyone on his very long prayer list.  “Bro. Bill” also just finished writing his first book and he was hoping it would be a blessing to all his friends and family.

William Richard Wambsganss is survived by his six children, Rebecca Lewis of Leander, Texas, Bonnie LaVielle, (husband, Bill), of Garland, Texas,  Brenda Rabe, (husband, Mark), of Fate, Texas, Bill Wambsganss of Rowlett, Texas, Beth Wambsganss of Rowlett, Texas, and Betty Methvin, (husband, Edward) of Rowlett, Texas. Also survived by step-children, Brian Bates, (wife Leslie), of Florence, Colorado and Sheree’ Bates of Airway Heights, Washington. “Bro. Bill” has twenty-one grandchildren and forty-nine great grand-children, as well as many nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

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