Bill Kaufman

MORTON – William R. “Bill” Kaufman, 87, of Morton, passed away on Monday, November 29, 2021, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

He was born on March 21, 1934, in Morton, Ill., to Daniel and Anna (Wiegand) Kaufman. He married Karen Faubel in Washington, Ill. on October 18, 1957.
Surviving are his children, Kaylene (Paul) Albu of Charlie Lake, British Columbia, Canada, Mary (Doug) McCallen of Apex, N.C., Cynthia (David) Schultz of Washington, Ill., and Andrew (Sara) Kaufman of Lake Zurich, Ill.; 16 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren with one on the way; one brother, Clifford (Marilyn) Kaufman of Morton; and one sister, Elsie Zimmerman of Eureka, Ill.
He was preceded in death by two brothers and three sisters.
Bill was a US Army veteran having served from 1955 to 1957. He then worked as a bricklayer for Clifford Kaufman & Sons, Inc., retiring in January 2005. He volunteered at OSF St. Francis for 10 years in the outpatient rehab department.
Bill served on many mission trips, using his masonry skills to bless people in Mexico, Haiti, Russia, Barbados and other countries.
He loved to garden and share his produce with others, and his Springerles were a frequent gift to friends and family at Christmas.
Bill never met a stranger, often striking up conversations with people he just met. His smile was the best.
Bill was a member of Morton Apostolic Christian Church, where a funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, with church ministers officiating. Visitation will be from 9 to 10:15 a.m., prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at Morton Apostolic Christian Church Cemetery in Morton.
Memorials may be made to Apostolic Christian LifePoints/Timber Ridge in Morton or Midwest Food Bank.
Knapp-Johnson Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Morton is handling arrangements.
To view Bill’s online video tribute or to leave a condolence for the family, visit www.knappjohnson.com.