William H. Amling Obituary (1921 - 2007)

William H. Amling, 86, of Pana died Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at Pana Community Hospital. He was born June 19, 1921 in Maywood, IL, the child of Martin C. Amling and Tillie R. (Eitzman) Amling, the first of five sons. In 1922, the family moved to Pana where his father Martin and uncles Herb and Walt opened the first of Pana's rose greenhouses. As a lifelong resident of Pana, Bill attended Lincoln Grade School and Pana Township High school, graduating in 1939. Active in athletics, he was also named to the National Honor Society. He graduated from the University of Illinois with an A.B. degree in 1943, majoring in political science and history. While there, he enrolled in the ROTC program and was called-up for active duty in July of 1943. After completing training at the Anti-Aircraft Officer's Candidate School at Camp Davis, North Carolina, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. He received further training with the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. In January 1945, he was assigned to Company A, 9th Regiment Second Infantry Division "Second To None", and commanded the 1st platoon of A Company stationed in Germany. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in March 1945. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, two Battle Stars to his ETO Ribbon, a Purple Heart with cluster and the Silver Star for gallantry in action. When World War II ended, he was stationed in Czechoslovakia. Upon release from active military service in the fall of 1946, he enrolled in the University of Illinois Law School and received a J.D. degree, passing the Illinois Bar Examination in March, 1949. He married Sue Clark, also of Pana and a fellow University of Illinois graduate, on September 28, 1947. After passing the bar, he practiced law in Pana in the summer of 1949, but was interrupted upon being recalled to active service in the fall of 1951. He was transferred overseas with the 28th Infantry Division becoming part of NATO. He served on the staff of the 112th Infantry Regiment stationed at Hielbron am Neckar, Germany. He resumed the practice of law in 1953. He retired in May of 1999 and was honored as a Senior Counselor for 50 years of active practice of law. He served as Pana Tri-County Fair Superintendent in 1951 and 1952, and was for several years, chairman of the local American Red Cross. He was appointed Pana's City Attorney in 1957, and served in that post until 1961. He was reappointed as Pana's City Attorney in 2000, and served in that capacity until earlier this year. He was elected five times to the Pana Community School Board, and served from 1953-1967. He is a life member of St. Paul Lutheran Church of Pana. He prepared the charter for the Pana Community Hospital and as a member of the 1st Board of Directors of the hospital, he served as the first President from 1967-1974. During his tenure, the Board negotiated the purchase of the Pana Hospital from the Order of the Sisters of Misericorde. Working with Joseph McCracken, he completed the purchase from the Sisters in the early 1970's by direct negotiations in Montreal, Canada. He was elected Mayor of Pana in 1985 and served two terms ending in 1993. An active Rotarian for most of his life, he has been named a Paul Harris Fellow. He served as a Director of the First National Bank of Pana from 1954 to January 2003. He represented the State of Illinois from 1968-1970 as Executive Secretary of the Claim Services of the State Department of Mental Health. In 1990, he was honored with an invitation to represent the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division and VFW at the rededication of the City Square of Kokycany, Czechoslovakia. After the collapse of the Communist regime, the name was being changed from the Square of the Red Army to the Thomas J. Masaryk Square after the 1st President of Czechoslavakia. Bill and wife Sue made the trip and he was called upon to make on of the dedication speeches. He was an active member of the Christian County and Illinois Bar Associations from 1949 until recent years, and is a past president of the Christian County Bar Association. In 2000, he was inducted to the Pana High School "Wall of Fame". His hobbies included golf and stamp collecting and he was an avid arborist. He maintained a 100-acre farm southeast of Oconee, where he planted and tended to literally thousands of trees, many varieties not native to this region. For years, he shared his enthusiasm with hundreds of high school students taking them on leaf walks in the fall and identifying rare specimens for their biology class leaf notebooks. Over the years, he catalogued his research and maintained meticulous records. Funeral Information As per Bill's request, cremation rights were accorded and a memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Paul Lutheran Church, Pana with Rev. Martin Eden officiating.