Willie was born in Converse on February 19, 1938 to the late Dean and Irene (Dangerfield) Fansler. He passed away on May 26, 2016 in Wabash, Indiana.
Willie served in the United States Navy from November 1956 until his honorable discharge in 1959. He married Julia I Bishop on November 16, 1959. Mrs. Fansler preceded him in death on August 10, 1976. For 20 years Willie worked for Bankers Life and Casualty. Later he was the bartender at the Blue Room and then he worked in sales for Gardens of Memory from 1995-2000.
In Willie’s younger years he played guitar and sang in a country music band. He was an avid NASCAR fan and enjoyed listening to music in his free time. Willie was a caring father and grandfather.
He is survived by four children, Jeanetta Lester and Kim (Billy) Osborne, both of Wabash; Darlen Elshire, Peru; Dean (Janelle) Fansler, Kokomo; 9 grandchildren, Billy Lester, Dea Jay Lester, Chad Overman, Tony Weigle, Chris Stephens, Jared Osborne, Caleb Osborne, Julia Osborne and Eddie Osborne; several great-grandchildren; one sister, Shirley Kelly, Alexandria.
Willie is also preceded in death by his son, Noah Leroy Fansler; brothers, Joseph Fansler, Eugene Fansler and James Fansler; sisters, Norma Lee Kelly and Mary Ruth Dennison.
Visitation will be held at 11am until services on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 in Owen-Weilert-Duncan Funeral Home, Larrison-Martin Chapel, 308 East Marion Street, Converse, Indiana.
The funeral will be held on Wednesday at 1pm in the funeral home with Rev. Brad Wright. Burial with military honors will take place in Converse Cemetery.