William F. (Bill) White Jr., age 72 of Mercer, ND, died at his home in Maryville, Tennessee on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, September 7th at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Turtle Lake, ND. Burial will be in the Mercer Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Tuesday at the United Methodist Church in Turtle Lake where Bill was a long-time member.

Bill White was born on December 14th, 1938 in Stockton, CA to Bill White Sr. and Lydia (Gaub) White. At the age of three, his family moved from California to Mercer, ND where they built a homestead northwest of town. Bill graduated from Mercer High School in 1957 and attended Jamestown College and Minot State College graduating in 1961. Following his degree in Math and Business, he served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve until 1968. In the fall of 1968, Bill began teaching at Turtle Lake-Mercer High School followed by two years of teaching and coaching basketball in Beulah until he took over the family farm in 1972.

Bill loved to turn wood and create masterpieces of intricate design. His retirement was spent elbow deep in wood shavings and he loved every minute of it.

He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Sharon White; his daughter, Annette (John) Carlson of Cleveland, ND; his daughter, Colleen (Gary) Kummet of Iowa City, IA; his son, William F. "Skip" (Victoria) White of Friendsville, TN; his eight grandchildren Jana, Henry William, & Eleanor Carlson, Katie, Caleb, Luke, & Elizabeth Kummet, and William Charlie White.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and his beloved aunt and uncle, Floyd and Emma White.