William D. Alford

Born in Fargo, North Dakota on February 4, 1927
Departed on February 16, 2008. Resided in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Memorial

William D. Alford, 81 of Cedar Rapids, died Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, following a brief illness.

Born Feb. 4, 1927, in Fargo, N.D., to Ernest and Tressie Alford, he grew up on the Alford Guernsey Dairy Farm, which provided the foundation for a lifelong career in farm broadcasting radio and TV and sales.

Bill served with the U.S. Army paratroops occupation forces in Japan after World War II. He then graduated from Iowa State University with a journalism degree. He was editor of the ISU Daily and named Most Likely to Succeed in his graduating class of 1951. His farm broadcasting career began at WOI-AM-FM-TV, and continued with the University of Massachusetts Extension Service and WLW Radio in Cincinnati. He is best remembered for his subsequent 24 years with WMT AM/FM/TV as a popular farm broadcaster and farm editor. Bill is a member of WMT Radio Hall of Fame. He earned national prominence as president of the Iowa chapter and also as national president of the National Agri-Marketing Association. He was elected as Chairman of the Associates of NAFB National Association of Farm Broadcasters.

After leaving WMT, Bill was agribusiness director of Blair Radio and was later affiliated with Frank Magid & Associates. His love of golf continued into retirement and he greatly enjoyed working as a starter and ranger at Twin Pines Golf Course.

Bill is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marilyn Larson Alford, and three daughters: Linda Fritts and husband, Jack, of Cedar Rapids, Amy Nakai of Plymouth, Minn., and Susan Boeckmann and husband, Neal, of Cedar Rapids. His four grandchildren are Lisa David Kesse, Jessica Fritts, David Nakai and Andrea Naki.

Also surviving is his stepmother, Verna Alford.

Services at 1:00 PM on Tuesday at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. Rev. Herbert Isenberg will officiate. Burial at Noon on Wednesday at the Callender Cemetery in Callender, Iowa. Friends may call at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home from 4 to 7 PM on Monday. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy or to Camp Courageous in Bill's name.

Visitation

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