Bill was born October 31, 1944, in Greene County, Indiana to Ivan and Wilma (Crowe) Hosteter. Growing up in rural Bloomfield, Indiana, Bill was raised to be hard-working, resourceful, and committed to common sense family values. His early years were filled helping on his family and uncles’ farms, which created a lasting bond with them throughout his life.
After graduation from Bloomfield High School, he attended and graduated from Vincennes Junior College and then attended Purdue University where he received his BS degree in Agriculture in 1966. Upon graduation from Purdue, he enlisted with the Army Reserves and served his country for six years, while also starting his 37-year career with the USDA’s Soil Conservation Service (SCS) as a Soil Scientist.
Bill and his cousin, Jerry Hudson, fell for twin sisters from Oklahoma whose father was a pastor holding a religious revival in Greene County. One of the sisters was Loraine Snider, who insisted on marrying a Christian man. Bill had attended church for most of his life, but he had not taken that next step. In front of the couch in the house where Bill proposed, Bill accepted Christ to set the stage for their marriage on August 27, 1966, in a joint ceremony with Jerry and Loraine’s twin sister, Elaine. Their commitment to strong family values and a Christ-centered life together was evident in raising their three children, Amy, Clay, and Karen, and led them down many paths in serving the church. Together they taught Sunday School, worked on countless church projects, and served as CYC/CLC directors for many years at Brookside Free Methodist Church in Kokomo.
Bill’s career with the SCS took him through all of the counties in Indiana, which gave him the opportunity to find the best butter pecan milkshake in the state. He was assigned to the SCS office in Clinton County in 1972 to create the official map of the county’s soils. It was during this time that Bill, along with four other young soil scientists, formed the “Frankfort 5”, which provided lifelong friendships and annual reunions filled with laughter, story-telling and friendly competition on the volleyball court. Bill took great pride in his work developing soil surveys, which were the products of countless steps, soil bores and long days. After retiring from the SCS in 2003, he ran Hosteter Soil Consulting for 13 years. Throughout his career, he assisted with many FFA soil judging competitions around the state and was also a member of the Indiana Association of Professional Soil Classifiers.
His spare time was filled with gardening, DIY projects for family, enjoying children & grandchildren, mission trips to Haiti, teaching Sunday School, enjoying Boilermaker sports, reading avidly, World War II documentaries and movies, and always providing wisdom to those who asked for assistance. He was an active member of the Gideon’s for many years. He was also skilled in giving ‘vicious headlocks’ to his faithful companion golden retrievers which were always with him as he traveled.
Bill’s last several years were mostly confined to a wheelchair as the result of a traumatic brain injury. He showed constant determination, grit and worked hard to exercise and walk again. Loraine provided an unmatched level of care to keep Bill at their home, which he and his dad, Ivan, helped build in 1972. Their lifelong, unwavering commitment to each other is an inspiring example of what marriage can be. Bill passed away on July 30, 2023, at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis with his wife and family by his side.
Bill is survived by his wife, Loraine; daughters, Amy (Jeff) Gammon of Cicero, Karen (Michael) Grant of Indianapolis; son, Clay Hosteter of Frankfort; grandchildren, Bethany (Mason) Brown, Jacob Hosteter, Matthew Gammon, Drew Hosteter, and Caroline Grant. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister (Sue Baffoe), infant brother (Jimmy Hosteter) and daughter-in-law (Wynette Hosteter).
Visitation will be held on Friday, August 4 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Brookside Free Methodist Church, 190 E 400 S, Kokomo, Indiana. Funeral service will be on Saturday, August 5 at 10:30 am, also at Brookside Free Methodist Church. Burial and short graveside service will be at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Bloomfield, Indiana at approximately 3:30 pm. Family and friends are invited to attend a gathering after the burial at Mt. Zion Wesleyan Fellowship Hall, 2821 Highway 157, Bloomfield, Indiana, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Stout & Sons, Russiaville, Indiana.