He was the son of Rev. John and D’Alta Armold, who were missionaries to Nigeria Africa. Because his parents were not always in the United States, he and his brother Lloyd, stayed with Ben and Lucy Noerenberg of Ithaca NE. Therefore, he lived with his parents when they were stateside and on the farm with his foster parents when his folks were back in Africa. His elementary school years were spent at District 102 In Saunders County and Prescott elementary in Lincoln. He attended both Holdrege and Mead High Schools graduating in 1951. He graduated from Westmar College, LeMars, Iowa in 1955, attended Western Evangelical Theological Seminary in Portland, Oregon for two years and graduated from Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville Illinois, now known as Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in May of 1959.
Bill married Shirley E. Walkup of York, NE at the York East Avenue Evangelical United Church on August 12, 1960, just one week after his mother had returned from her last three years of mission work in Africa. Shirley’s parents were farmers northwest of York, NE. Shirley and Bill were married for 65 1/2 wonderful years and had two daughters, Ronda and Stephanie. During seminary days, Bill served as associate pastor at the EUB church in Villa Park, Illinois and then with Shirley at his side, pastored in Nebraska in the Evangelical United Brother Church, which later became the United Methodist Church. The churches were: Lincoln Calvary, Harvard, Madison, Ainsworth, York, Holdrege and Ashland, each with a rural church connected to it. He loved them all. After retirement, he served Cheney and Palmyra churches for three years. Bill and Shirley enjoyed their membership at St. Marks United Methodist Church in Lincoln as well as numerous Bible studies and small groups.
During those active years, Bill served on the conference District Council, the Board of Evangelism, he was a counselor and director of numerous church camps, including two music camps, District Youth coordinator, director of a Youth in Mission to Henderson, Kentucky, conference Board of Ordained Ministries, District Mission Society, secretary, and a member and Board President of the Holdrege Methodist Memorial homes, member of Epworth Village Board and participated In three “Volunteers in Mission” trips to Mexico, Texas and New Orleans. Bill hired, mentored and encouraged several young youth pastors. Following retirement from the parish ministry and moving to Lincoln, with his wife Shirley in 1999, Bill became the Protestant chaplain at St. Elizabeth Hospital, the Heart Hospital and the Dialysis Center of Lincoln making a total of 59 years in ministry. He was a participant in many CROP drives and in his early years was the Clay County coordinator for the CROP trains that would come through to pick up money and grain from farmers as they contributed to helping overseas families.
While serving the churches, he was active in Lions, Toastmasters, Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs where he held numerous offices. He also enjoyed being on the York Chamber of Commerce, board member of Epworth Village of York, NE, a scoutmaster and becoming an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). He also enjoyed singing with Lincoln Continental barbershop chorus for 22 years and singing the national anthem with his Quartet at many University of Nebraska sporting events and many birthday parties and special occasions. Using their singing talent, his wife, Shirley, and he did many musical programs for various groups over the years.
Bill edited and published a book: “Mission Possible: An African Adventure” from notes he found his dad had written about their first few years as Christian missionaries in Nigeria Africa to a people that had formally been headhunters and cannibals. He played five different sports as a youth and young adult. Music, photography, woodworking, playing his guitar, golf, and reading were his main hobbies. During the summer during college and seminary, two summers he toured with a male quartet representing Westmar College, was an orderly at Iowa University Hospital, helped build, and paint houses in Arizona and Iowa.
He was the same person at home and in public. He was often called Mr. Rogers because of his patient and kind demeanor and wearing great cardigan sweaters! He gave great children’s sermons, sang with his guitar. made up songs for family events, played tag with his girls and grandchildren, loved a chocolate malt, was a classy dresser; loved to look at sports cars, watched the Huskers year in and year out, participated in plays, would help anyone in need, made sure his wife was taken care of (even asking about her on the second to last day of his life) and dated her to the end, honored his biological and foster parents, called on thousands of people in the hospital or at home, taught his girlies to drive in the Sandhills of Nebraska, sang in every church choir, enjoyed deer hunting in the fall, loved refinishing furniture, and lived joyfully every day!
But most of all, Bill was kind, even tempered, sincere, guileless, easily delighted, pure of heart, fun, curious, musical, devoted to Shirley and faithful to the One True God of the Universe.
He was preceded in death by infant twin sisters, Edith and Ethel, his parents, his son-in-love, Dr. David Swanson and his brother, Dr. Lloyd Armold. Those remaining to cherish his life and memory are his wife, Shirley, children, Ronda Swanson and Stephanie, (Jim) Winter, grandchildren, Caleb(Crystal), Abigail(Drew), Sophia and Livia Swanson and Ben(Joy), Sam, Aaron(Aly)Winter and great grandson Burk William Winter.
Graveside service: 10:30 am Saturday, February 21, 2026, Greenwood Cemetery, 1000 W 8th St, York, NE followed by a memorial service at 2:00 pm at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 8550 Pioneers Blvd. in Lincoln.
Visitation with family present will be Friday, February 20, 2026, from 5-7 pm at Roper and Sons Midtown Chapel, 4300 O Street.
Memorials to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Family Emergency Fund or the Salvation Army.
Service will be livestreamed at: stmarks.org/live-stream