Billie "Bill" Frank Gutshall

Billie (Bill) Frank Gutshall Billie (Bill) Frank Gutshall, a resident of The Baptist Home in Chillicothe, Missouri, left this earth for the place prepared for him in Heaven on March 17, 2015. Bill was born the son of Robert and Vyda (Real) Gutshall on April 9, 1934 near Gilman City, Missouri. He was a 1952 graduate of Gilman City High School where he played basketball and was active in FFA. On August 17, 1952, he married Carol Lavon Frazier at the Melbourne Baptist Church. Together, Bill and Carol attended Southwest Baptist College in Boliver for two years. Bill completed his education at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where he graduated with a degree in Agriculture Education in 1957. He later received a Masters and Specialist Degree in Agriculture Education. Bill began his teaching career in Stockport, Iowa in 1957. He began teaching Vocational Agriculture in Chillicothe in 1961 and remained there until 1988. While teaching in Chillicothe, he was the FFA Advisor, where he had multiple State Farmers, several American Farmers, 6 State FFA Officers and 1 National FFA Officer. In 1971, he began teaching the Young Farmer classes at Chillicothe Vocational Technical School. He had the first Young Farmer Chapter chartered in the state of Missouri. He ended his career by designing and teaching the first High School Agribusiness classes in the state of Missouri. In 1976, he received the National Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association's award for designing and implementing a course of study in Agribusiness occupations. Bill received three honorary FFA Degrees: Chillicothe Chapter, State Farmer and American Farmer. Bill believed in Agriculture Education and the FFA and promoted this in his students and his own family. His four sons and two granddaughters received degrees in Agriculture. One of the highlights of his life was when a granddaughter presented him with her State FFA officer jacket in her retiring officer ceremony at the State FFA Convention. Bill's love and passion was livestock shows, fairs and selecting and raising quality livestock. He was a vital part of the Livingston County Fair from 1962 until 1988, serving as an ex-officio Fair Board Member for 26 years. Bill was inducted into the Livingston County 4-H and FFA Fair Legends in 2014. Bill was Livestock Superintendent of the Missouri State Fair from 1994 until 2001. In 2004, he received the Missouri State Fair Distinguished Service Award and the Outstanding Service and Education to the Beef Industry of Missouri award. In 1992, Bill with his wife, Carol, was employed by North Central Missouri College in Trenton, Missouri to start the Technical Preparation (Tech Prep) Program between High Schools and Community Colleges. This Tech Prep Program helped establish the A Program for Missouri Schools. Bill was a partner in P&G Auction Service for several years. While in Chillicothe, Bill was an active member of the First Baptist Church and was a member of this church at the time of his death. After retiring from the Chillicothe School System and moving to Trenton, he joined the First Baptist Church of Trenton where he was ordained as a deacon and took an active part in church activities. Bill served on an Agricultural Task Force doing Mission work in the former Soviet Union country of Belarus in 1996. He made many trips to Belarus with his wife, Carol. They became the directors of the Swords Into Plowshares ministry in Belarus that raised thousands of dollars for the rural poor of that country. He helped arrange for two Belarusian young men to study at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. Bill and Carol became their American parents. Bill actively supported starting The Baptist Home in North Missouri. He served as chairman of the committee that raised funds to build the south wing of The Baptist Home in Chillicothe. He also served as a Trustee for The Baptist Homes of Missouri for many years. Bill's greatest hope for his boys and their families was for them to know and love Jesus Christ and have a relationship with Him. He found great pleasure in seeing the boys actively serving in the churches in the communities in which they live. Bill is survived by his wife, Carol, of their home in Chillicothe, and four sons Douglas, Daniel, Dennis, and Bill C. Gutshall: Doug (Teresa) and grandchildren Brandon (Meredith) and their children Deacon, Grisham, Oliver, and Derby Gutshall all of Platte City, Missouri and Tara (Jazz) Rucker of Columbia, Missouri; Dan (Carla) of Lansing, Kansas, and grandchildren Jeff Gutshall of Lawrence, Kansas, and Kristen (Jereme) Foster of St. Louis, Missouri; Dennis (Marcia) of Trenton, Missouri, and grandchildren Stephanie (Kyle) Eckler and their daughter Ella Eckler of Shelbyville, Missouri, and Aimee (Sam) Cope of Montgomery City, Missouri. Bill C. (Angie) and grandchildren Cole and Macy Gutshall of Chillicothe, Missouri. Bill is also survived by two sisters Phyllis Appleby of Nashville, Tennessee and Bedonna Bachman (Fred) of Iowa City, Iowa, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister Patricia and her husband, Paul Shaw, and a brother-in-law Bob Appleby. Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church, Chillicothe, Missouri, on Saturday, March 21, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. A scheduled family visitation will be held at the Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri, on Friday, March 20, 2015, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friends may call at the Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri, on Friday, March 20, 2015, from 12 noon until 8:00 p.m. Burial will be held at Edgewood Cemetery, Chillicothe, Missouri. Memorial contributions may be made to the Chillicothe FFA and may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 47, Chillicothe, Missouri 64601. Online condolences may be made at www.lindleyfuneralhomes.com . Arrangements are under the direction of Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri.