William “Bill” Herron

William Nelson Herron of Ashland, passed away at age 83, on April 10, 2023 at Lenoir Woods.

Known as “Bill” to family and friends, he was born on March 15, 1940 on a farm near Englewood, Missouri to Nettie Mae (Davis) and Warren Herron. A lifelong resident of Boone County, he was the fifth of eight children who learned early on the value of hard-work and family. He married Betty Jo Baker in 1963 and they remained married for 59 years.

A 1957 graduate of Ashland High School, Bill began his education in a one-room school in Englewood. He worked for GTE and Verizon as a lineman and repairman for 44 years, retiring in 2001. He also owned and operated a family farm, spending many early mornings and late evenings tending to cattle, putting up hay and fixing fence. He enjoyed working with his hands, refusing desk work at the phone company, he continued to climb telephone poles into his sixties. He also enjoyed baseball, visiting with friends & relatives and especially quail hunting with his buddy, Eddie Nichols.

Survivors include wife Betty Herron of Ashland; two sons, William E. “Billy” Herron and Greg (Kristin) Herron, both of Columbia; two grandchildren, Lauren (Blake) and Chad Herron of Columbia; one great-grandson, Bennett. Also surviving are sisters Mable (Moreau) Heard of Centreville, Virginia, Doris Reno and Elaine Allen of Columbia; brothers Donald (Deanna) Herron and Daryl Herron, both of Columbia. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters: Evelyn Sue White and Lois Wilhite.

A visitation for Bill will be held at Robinson Funeral Home in Ashland on Saturday April 15, 2023 at 10:00am with Funeral Services at 11:00am.

Donations may be made to Boone Hospice, Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/ or P.O. Box 68, Ashland, MO 65010.