FAIRMONT - A Celebration of Life Service for William L. Coombes, 87, of Fairmont, Minn., will be held 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, at St. John's United Church of Christ in Fairmont. Interment will be in Fairview Memorial Park in Fairmont with military honors by the Lee C. Prentice American Legion Post 36 and Martin County VFW Post 1222.

William passed away on Wednesday evening, Oct. 28, 2009, at St. James Medical Center. Visitation will be held today, Oct. 30, 2009, from 5-7 p.m. at Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont.

William L. Coombes was born Nov. 24, 1921, in Martinsville, Ill., the fourth child of Bryan and Stella (Spittler) Coombes. The family moved when he was 6 months old to a farm near Granada, Minn., to live with his aunt and uncle, Jesse and Ola Maxwell. Shortly after, his family moved to a farm near Huntley, Minn., where he went to grade school. They again moved to a farm near Granada, where he graduated from high school in 1941.

In July of 1942, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in England, France, Belgium and Germany during WWII. He was a medical technician with the 442nd Medical Collecting Company. He was honorably discharged in 1945.

While working and living in an apartment house in Fairmont, he met Velma D. Leslie. He married her on June 24, 1955, at St. John's United Church of Christ in Fairmont. He was a member there for the rest of his life.

William was an athlete playing baseball, basketball, softball and bowling for many teams in the area. He also coached baseball. His hobby was his apple trees. Every year, he gave away most of the apples to friends, neighbors and family. William worked for 34 years at Fairmont Railway Motors as a machinist and a quality-control inspector, retiring on March 1, 1988. After retiring, he decided to work for two more years at Fairmont Foods.

William raised five children including three sons, Gary Coombes of Fairmont, Minn., Marcus Coombes of Watertown, S.D., and Todd Coombes of Watertown, S.D.; two daughters, Brenda Foster and her husband, Stephen of Watertown, S.D., and Rhonda Lockwood and her husband, Mike of Swea City, Iowa. He leaves two brothers, Harold "Sonny" Coombes and wife, Alice of San Diego, Calif., Don Coombes and wife, Shirley of Fairmont; six sisters, Clara "Sis" Fritz of Oakdale, Minn., Fern Anderson and husband, Wayne of Blue Earth, Minn., Rita Studer and husband, Jack of Albert Lea, Minn., Janet Wertjes and husband, Ronny of Bricelyn, Minn., Anne Falzone and husband, Joe of St. Paul, Minn.; sister-in-law, Arlene Coombes of Camarilla, Calif. He also leaves five grandchildren, Andrew Foster and fiance Jenny Dale and Allison Foster, Malloree and Rachel Lockwood, and Austin Coombes; many nieces and nephews to mourn his passing.

William was preceded in death by his parents, Bryan and Stella Coombes; wife, Velma; two brothers, Herbert "Dean" Coombes and Max Coombes; four sisters, Margaret Squire, Helen Larson, Mary Lou Schlemme, and Joyce Coombes; sisters-in-law, Edna Paulson, Lois Schwartz, and Ruth Coombes; brothers-in-law, William "Boyd" Mulverhill, Earl Paulson, Edwin Schwartz, Richard Squire, Cecil Larson, and Lyle Schlemme.

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