MISSOULA – On Sunday, July 3, 2016, William Moulton Velde passed after a long fight with cancer. He was home, surrounded by his loving family. Bill was born April 20, 1946, in Dayton, Ohio, to Robert Lee Velde and Doris Moulton Velde of Missoula. His father was in the Air Force. By the time Bill entered kindergarten, he had lived in Ukiah, California, San Antonio, Texas, Port St. Joe and Panama City, Florida, and Montgomery, Alabama. In 1952, when the Armistice was signed, the family was sent to Japan where Bill attended second, third, fourth grade. 1956 was spent in Colorado Springs, Colorado, sixth and seventh grade in Lubbock, Texas. Their next assignment was for three years in Naples, Italy. Then 1962 they moved to Missoula where Bill graduated from Missoula County High School. He attended Georgetown University for one year before returning to Missoula. In 1966 he married his first wife Sharon Stetler of Missoula. They were together for seven years. After he graduated from the University of Montana, they moved to Iowa City, Iowa, where Bill took a position teaching rhetoric at the University of Iowa and got his Ph.D. in 1974. Bill could speak French, Italian, Spanish, German, and at one time, Japanese. He studied Latin and Old English. He never stopped writing, reading, learning and thinking. In 1974, while working for Wakenhut Security in the guard shack at the entrance to an armrest factory, he met Rebecca Sandberg. They moved back to Missoula and bought two acres east of Missoula with some rental properties. Here they raised their four children. Together they all raised chickens, rabbits, goats, sheep, geese, ducks and pigs. They built barns, fences, greenhouses, additions to the house. They all cleaned and did repairs; plumbing, broken windows, roofs for the rentals. They planted fruit trees, grapes, berries and nut trees. They gardened, canned, preserved, dried food, made soap, vinegar and brandy. While homesteading and developing rentals, Bill also earned a living managing the Baskin Robbins store, driving taxi and playing poker. He always had the most interesting stories and informed opinions to share on any subject. He had a great interest in genealogy. He played piano, gathered firewood when for many years it was our only heat source, rode motorcycles, loved ice fishing, pinball, dancing, but mostly he loved his family. He was preceded in death by his sisters Jill Ferris Velde and Susan Lee Velde Sears; also his parents Robert and Doris Velde. William is survived by his wife Rebecca Sandberg Velde; son Todd Frasier Velde and his wife Hana Tysver Velde; son Tyce Alexander Velde and his fiancee Katherine Murk; daughter Elizabeth Ann Velde; daughter Chryssa Jean Velde; his grandchildren, Rhys Joseph Velde, Rian Rosemary Velde, Mica Sievert Velde, Nathan Gabriel Knutson Velde, Audrey Elizabeth Knutson Velde and Charlie Velde. After a procession across Montana and the Midwest, through fireworks shows and thunderstorms, William was buried in Galesburg, Illinois, in Hope Cemetery along side of some of his ancestors.