William “Bill” L. Herrmann  

CULVER, IN - William “Bill” L. Herrmann was born on April 18, 1925, to Val and Elsie {Wasson} Herrmann in Culver, IN.

Bill was born and raised in Culver and attended all 12 years of school in the Culver school system. He loved hunting, fishing, ice skating and ice fishing, and spent most of his spare time doing one or the other.

He and his wife Marilyn enjoyed collecting and restoring antiques and he was a talented Artisan.

The biggest love of his life was his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Medbourn from seventh grade on.

Bill and Marilyn were married for 63 years and spent those years raising their family while living on South Shore Drive in the Culver community.

In April of 1943, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and set out on a journey that took him on an exciting trip for a young boy who had never been far from home. He was stationed in Oregon, Colorado, and Mississippi, before finally being sent off to Europe to play his part in WWII, surviving the Invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

For the majority of his time in Europe, he drove a supply truck on a route that circled France. He told so many great stories of his adventures and always ended them with, “It was the best time of my life”.

He returned to Culver in January of 1945 and married his sweetheart, Marilyn Medbourn on February 24 of 1945. They went on a six-week honeymoon to Florida and then returned to Culver to start their lives. Bill and Marilyn both attended beauty school in Logansport, IN and after graduation purchased a shop on Main Street in Culver.

Bill went on to work at Studebaker's for 4 years and then worked as a bricklayer until he retired at 53, and was a member of the Bricklayers Union for 50 years. He retired due to health issues and went on to find his way in the investment world.

Bill was a member of St. Mary's of the Lake Catholic Church all of his life. After assisting in the construction of the original Quonset hut that was used for weekly services after WWII, he went on to help with the construction of the existing church.

He suffered a stroke on April 15, just three days before his 94th birthday. He then spent a couple of months in rehabilitation and after leaving there went to reside with his granddaughter, Nikki Hamman for a few months, and then went to live at the Home by the Dome in South Bend.

He is survived by his daughter, Marilee (Jim) McCormack of Culver, IN; son, William (Casey) Herrmann of Bloomington, IN; granddaughter, Nikki Hamman (SO Scott Vandusen) of Plymouth, IN; granddaughters, Courtney Herrmann of Portland, OR and Loren Herrmann (SO Anna Marie Kendall) of Portland, OR; great-granddaughter, Katelun Hamman of Plymouth, IN; step-great-granddaughter, Heather Vandusen of South Bend; step-great-great-grandson, Aden Vandusen; step-great-great-granddaughter, Aryana Vandusen; nieces, Sherrill Edgington Fujimura (Tom) and Judith Edgington (Charles), and many other nieces and nephews. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Val and Elsie Herrmann; his wife, Marilyn Medbourn Herrmann; his brother, John F. Herrmann and wife Corrine of Ware, Massachusetts; his grandson, William R. Newman; and his beloved Black Lab, Duck.

In lieu of flowers, any donations to the Center for Hospice would be appreciated.

Graveside services will be held at a later date.

Elkhart Cremation Services has been entrusted with the arrangements.