William Henry Knoderer, Jr. (born 1922)

Rev. William Henry Knoderer, Junior was the son of Dr. William Henry Knoderer, Senior and Mrs. Mildred (McDaniel) Knoderer. His siblings, both older, were Ruth (Knoderer) Pettigrew, a former Miss Ohio State University, and Dr. John Robert Knoderer, who followed in his father's footsteps as a dentist in private practice.

William (aka Bill) got his B.S. in Psychology at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, then served in the Army Air Corps, which put his Psychology degree to the test by having him administer psychological tests to recruits to help determine where they would be best suited for active duty. During these years he was often called "Long Bill".

After World War Two, Bill went to the Maywood Lutheran Seminary, now the Chicago Theological Seminary, where he met Arleen Gladys Reuse, daughter of Harry E. Reuse and Clara (Prosche) Reuse, who he married in December, 1949. He served as the first full-time pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Portland, Indiana, founded the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Indianapolis, serving as their first pastor, then went on to serve as Secretary of Development at Wittenberg College during the period when it was transforming into Wittenberg University, then as chief fundraiser at Oesterlen Home for Children, a home for delinquent teenagers, also in Springfield, Ohio.

In 1967, he decided to work toward a Master's Degree in Audio-Visual education, then moved to the Chicago area where he was active in the first few Earth Day celebrations, served as Interim pastor of several Lutheran congregations, and worked with several local businesses. In 1973, Bill and Arleen moved to Kansas City, where they both got involved with several alternative ministries, including the Course in Miracles, and worked with several local businesses.

In 1977, they moved to their retirement home in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, where they were friends of the local spiritual community, Shiloh, and where Mom continued her singing by eventually becoming the paid soloist at a Church of Christ Scientist in Gravette.

Bill died two days before his 70th birthday at home, after fighting cancer for five months. He was cremated, and his ashes were buried beneath three trees, one in Sulphur Springs Park, and two in their back yard.