William A. Neeland, 85, of Mancelona, died Thu, Sep 3, 1998, at Meadow Brook Medical Care Facility in Bellaire.
William was born Mar 6, 1913, at the home of his parents, William E. and Maggie Mae (Booher) Neeland on South Maple Avenue in Mancelona. On Dec 26, 1940, in Mancelona, he married Auline Laing. she preceded him in death on Jun 23, 1980. He married Lucille (Lauzon) Millar in Kalkaska on Aug 8, 1981.
Mr. Neeland was a very educated man. After graduating from Mancelona High School in 1930 as class salutatorian, he attended and graduated from antrim County Normal in 1931. He then went on to teach in a one room school in Antrim County from 1931 to 1933. In 1934 and 1935, he taught junior high in the Alden Public Schools. During those years he also played saxophone in a small dance band.
During the summers of 1931, 1932, and 1933, he attended Northern Michigan College in Marquette. In the fall of 1935, he enrolled at Michigan College of Mining and Technology in Houghton. While attending college, he also played in the R.O.T. C. band for four years, serving as band leader during his junior and senior years. He was a member of the Chi Epsilon Chi, Tau Nu Tau, Tri Beta and Tau Beta Pi fraternities. He graduated with honors in 1939 with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. at the same time, he was also commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the Engineer Reserves. During the summers of 1936, 1937, and 1938, he worked for the Antrim County Road Commission. In 1939, he went to Camp Custer for Officers Training Camp.
William was employed by the Visking Corporation in Chicago in viscose cellophane production. In January 1941, he was transferred from Visking to the DuPont Company in New Jersey and then to the Indiana Ordnance Works in Louisville, KY. During January 1944, he worked with the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, TN, as a supervisor in training. In 1945, William left DuPont and returned to Mancelona to work in retail sales with his father in law, G.E. Laing.
He was very active in several Mancelona civic organizations including the Mancelona Businessmen's Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Mancelona Rotary Club, and served on the village council. Mr. Neeland taught school in Mancelona during the 1958 to 1959 school year and then returned to school himself from 1959 to 1960 at the University of Michigan. He graduated with his master of arts degree in science for teachers in 1960. From 1960 until Jul 1, 1975 ,he served the Mancelona Public School system in a variety of positions from teacher to assistant principal, and finally as a high school principal from 1961 to 1975.
Mr. Neeland enjoyed hunting, fishing, reading, woodworking, leathercraft, general tinkering, and dancing.
William is survived by his wife Lucille Neeland of Mancelona; daughter Kathleen Neeland of Mancelona; and son William E. Neeland of Grass Lake.
Memorial services were Sep 6, at the Mancelona United Methodist Church; Rev. Carol Floyd officiated. A committal service was Sep 8 at Fairview Cemetery, Mancelona.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Mancelona High School Emer Mathias Scholarship Fund. The family was served by the Paullin-Penzien Funeral Home in Mancelona.
