Cleston E. “Bill” Fathke was born in Avon, South Dakota, on January 27, 1921, the son of William and Lydia (Villhauer) Fathke.

He died Friday, February 15, 2008, at the Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo of congestive heart failure. Cleston attained the age of 87 years.

Cleston was a previous resident of Avon, South Dakota, attending school. He then joined the Civilian Conservation Corp of Chamberlain and Deerfield, South Dakota. He then moved to Lanark, Illinois and worked at a poultry house and at the Savannah Proving Grounds. After losing employment, he was hired on at the Rath Packing Company in Waterloo. He retired in 1979 after 34 years of employment.

Cleston married Rose Mary Werner on April 11, 1952 in Tyndall, South Dakota.

Cleston loved hunting, fishing, traveling and spending time with Rose Mary-the love of his life.

Those thankful for having shared Bill’s life are his wife of 55 years, sister Ruth Zimmerman of Oroville, California; brother Vernon and his wife Colleen of Lake Havasu, Arizona; sister-in-law Fay Fathke of Modesto, California; and a host of relatives and friends.

Cleston was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers Marvin and Arnold