William H. “Bill” Mcelwain

William H. “Bill” McElwain, 81, formerly of Moline, longtime entertainment editor of The Dispatch, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006, in his home in Orion, Illinois.

Services are 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Celebration of Life Chapel at Trimble Funeral and Cremation Center, Coal Valley. Burial is in Coal Valley Cemetery. Visitation is 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Oak Glen Home, Coal Valley.

William Hayes McElwain was born December 26, 1924, in Coal Valley, the son of Bailey and Ruth (Hayes) McElwain. He served in the U. S. Navy Sea Bee?s New Guinea Medical Unit during WW II. After the war, he graduated from Augustana College with a degree in Communications. He started working for the Moline Dispatch in 1940 while in high school, and began his 42 year career with the newspaper following his graduation. He retired in January, 1993.

Bill was a volunteer teacher of English to Immigrants through the L.I.F.E. program at Blackhawk College.

Bill is survived by a nephew and his wife, John (Jack) and Nedra Baraks of Orion; and two great-nephews, Marcus Baraks of Durham, North Carolina, and Gregory Baraks and his wife Lori and their sons, Johnathan and Jacob of Sealy, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Dorothy Baraks.

You are invited to share a story about Bill, sign his guestbook, or light a candle in his memory at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.