William (Bill) White Finnerty passed peacefully from this world December 15th, 2023, surrounded by his wife Maxine, his daughters and their spouses. Bill was born on May 14th, 1932, to William M. and Flossie S.(nee White) Finnerty at his great grandfather's home in the Lincoln County, Mo community of Hines. He was the eldest of his parents' three sons. Bill was a lifelong member of the Oak Grove United Methodist Church. As a young child he enjoyed playing with his brothers, hunting and helping his father and mother on the farm. He attended school at Harmony Grove through second grade then the family purchased a farm and moved near Cyrene, Mo. where he began school at Oak Grove, which was about a mile walk from his home, for his freshman year he went on to Silex High School graduating in 1951.  He and his brothers enjoyed teasing and pulling tricks on each other as they traversed to and from school. As he became a young man the financial situation of the country was hard, and he worked helping other neighbors and even drove a school bus his senior year of high school at Silex.

After high school graduation he left home and went to work building a gas pipeline across the state of Missouri.  In 1952 he was drafted to the U.S. Army attending basic training in Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. from there the Army sent him for further training in Colorado and then on to Ft. Lewis in Washington state where he shipped out to Korea for two years.  His years in Korea were spent as an Army Pipeline Engineer and he attained the rank of Corporal before an honorable discharge in 1954. Upon returning to the United States, he headed back to his parent's farm.  At that time he and his brother Richard (Dick) began training as carpenters and joined the Carpenters Union in 1954.  The brothers were each awarded their 70-year pins this past September. When Bill returned home, he also had quite a surprise when he saw the girl on the neighboring farm had become a beautiful young lady!  In 1957 he and Maxine Teague were united in marriage at her parents' home.  In February of 1958 Bill and Maxine purchased a farm outside of Eolia from Mrs. Minnie Michie that was situated between their respective families'farms.  In 1958 they welcomed their first of three daughters, Leslie Ann.  2 ½ years later they were blessed with another daughter, Sherrie Sue and three years after that a bundle of joy that they named Donna Maxine.

Bill is survived by his wife Maxine, daughters Leslie Finnerty (Rick Steiner), Sherrie Davis (Nick Davis), Donna Ellison (Greg Ellison), and 7 grandchildren, Jared Morris, Whitney Morris, Tyler Davis, Audra Ellis (Jarrod), Alex Ellison (Lauren), Zachary Ellison (Brianna), Adrianna Ellison, 5 great grandsons and one great granddaughter. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law Janet Finnerty (Richard) and Nina Finnerty (Charles).  Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Bill & Flossie Finnerty, his in laws, Max & Nina Teague, his older sister Vernetta Jean, and his brothers Richard B. Finnerty and Charles W. Finnerty and one brother-in-law, Wayne Teague.

Visitation scheduled from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00  p.m. on Wednesday, December 20, 2023  at the McCoy-Blossom Funeral Homes & Crematory, 701 N. Business Hwy 61, Bowling Green, MO, 63334, 573-213-5110 or 636-528-8244.

Funeral service scheduled at 10:00  a.m. on Thursday, December 21, 2023 at the McCoy-Blossom Funeral Homes & Crematory, Bowling Green location.  Rev. Nick Davis to officiate.  Serving as pallbearers: Rick Finnerty, Wayne Finnerty, Dale Gray, Doug Aylward, Bob Gregory and Melvin Motley.  Serving as honorary pallbearers: Mark Cohea, Jack Wedemeier, Ken McCarthy, Greg Wyble, Ed Kuntz, Chris Henderson and Ronnie Flansburg.

Interment to follow in Millcreek Cemetery, Silex.

Memorials may be made to: Oak Grove United Methodist Church, Millcreek Cemetery or The Hope Center in Bowling Green, c/o McCoy-Blossom Funeral Homes & Crematory, 701 N. Business Hwy 61, Bowling Green, MO 63334. Family and Friends may sign the online guest book , mccoyblossomfh.com