William "Bill" "Willie" Cotton's Obituary
OBITUARY
William Cotton
William G. "Bill" "Willie" Cotton, 82, of Columbia, IL., born January 2, 1943, in Gideon, MO to the late Albert Lee and Ruth Cotton, passed away Thursday January 23, 2025, at Mercy Hospital Jefferson, Festus, MO.
As the son of sharecroppers, Bill grew up in a small town in the bootheel of Missouri in a single room home with dirt floors where he had many adventures with his brothers and cousins. He moved to St. Louis when he was 18 years old and met the love of his life and beloved wife, Sue, and they were together for 63 years. They were blessed with a large and loving family. Together they had five children, seven grandchildren, six step-grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. He loved to spend time with his wife, kids, grandchildren and great-grandchildren laughing and sharing stories.
Bill was a successful businessman and owner of Cotton's Ace Hardware. He opened his first grocery store in 1967 in St. Louis, MO. He moved from that first small corner store to bigger locations across St. Louis. In 1985, he bought a combined grocery and hardware store in Columbia, IL. After a few years, he decided to focus on hardware because "Hammers don't spoil." After 58 years, he grew his business to 14 Ace Hardware stores across Illinois and Missouri.
It was a true family business with his wife, Sue, his five children and grandchildren working and growing up in the business. He treated his employees like family, and many became life-long friends with many referring to him as "Pop" and "Grandpa". He was also the owner of Cotton's Construction and built many homes in Columbia, IL and Valmeyer, IL in the 1990's, including his own home and his son’s. He was the past president of the Rotary Club of Columbia, IL, past president of Kiwanis Club of Columbia, IL, and board member of Magna Bank.
Bill loved to learn and could learn just about anything by reading a book. He had many hobbies in his life including coin and gun collecting, traveling the world, genealogy, and fishing. When he wasn’t with his family or working in his stores, he loved spending time in his machine shop making things with his hands, restoring old cars and building ridable 1/8th scale steam trains. Bill was a kind and generous man who never knew a stranger and made friends everywhere he went.
Pop always said, "You never run out of dreams. You just run out of time."
Surviving are his loving wife, Carolyn Sue Cotton nee Barrett, his children, William "Joe" (Lorie) Cotton, David Cotton, Tim (Lara) Cotton, Suzette (David) Bement and Karie (John) Watson, his brother, Ronnie Cotton, his grandchildren, Heather (Chris) Overall, Sarah (Alex) Biffar, Jessica Cotton, William "Andrew" (Jerrica) Cotton, William "Jake" Watson, Sean Watson, his step-grandchildren, Alex Tharp, Nathan Tharp, Isabelle Tharp, Keith (Hannah) Bement his great-grandchildren, his nieces and nephews, cousins and many friends.
With his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his brothers, Lee Ray Cotton, Wayne Cotton, and Delbert Cotton, his nephews, Ed Cotton, Michael Cotton and Dale Cotton and his step-grandson David L. Bement, Jr.
Visitation will be Friday, January 31, 2025, 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm, at Leesman Funeral Home - Columbia, Columbia, IL, and Saturday, February 1, 2025, 9:00 am - 11:00 am where the services will be held at 11:00 am. Interment will follow in Palmier Cemetery
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to the American Heart Association. For more information, please access our website, www.leesmanfuneralhome.com
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