Eulogy for Bill Mantle

Bill Mantle was a man that you were glad to know. He was a great man. He was genuine, and caring, and all those other things that you would say about good people, you would no doubt say about Bill.

Bill and Norah’s home is a good representation of who Bill was

He built a lot of it himself

Animal heads and items from the outdoors

Pictures of happy family

His bible on the table in the living room

Stories of Bill, Norah, and the boys most often take place outside, often in the wilderness somewhere

Bill made a camper, framing it himself, Norah sewed the canvas topper

Stories of hunting with his boys, and Norah, he always had time for his family

Plowing food plots on their land

They were always together, as a family

He was a man of few words, but when he talked, people listened

It has been credited to someone as saying, “If Bill Mantle told me it was snowing in July, I wouldn’t even have to look outside to check.”

He had great practical wisdom that was appreciated by his congregation

Bill’s invitation about the wolves fighting within man

Bill was incredibly intelligent and capable, even though he didn’t want you to know that

All these things together explain a great truth about this man: his family was devoted to him, and his wife adored him

If you pay attention to how they talk about him, and the actions they took when he needed them, that tells you all you need to know about that man

His family’s opinion of him testify to what a great man he was

His sons dropped everything, to take care of him when he needed it

His family was totally devoted to him

What gives real meaning to his life and this memorial is a phrase Bill loved and lived by, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” ()

Bill was faithful to the God that loved him and redeemed him, and he wanted others to be too

Bill is someone that you can be confident about in his passing

These facts give his family comfort, and explain why Bill was not afraid of death

There is an account in scripture that details a situation much like we face today; it teaches the reason why Bill was not afraid of the end of this life, and teaches us how we too can share in this confidence

– The death of Lazarus and Jesus raises him

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” – v.21,32

“Your brother will rise again.” – v.23

“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” – v.24

“I am the resurrection and the life… Do you believe this?” – v.25-26

Jesus raised this man from the dead, and demonstrated his power

Bill Mantle believed this, and this is why he could say, along with the apostle Paul…

– “’Death is swallowed up in victory.’ O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Bill and his family are not afraid of death, they understand that Bill is with the Savior he committed himself to, and that his faith is realized.

He is no longer in pain

He is in the presence of his Lord

He would want you there too

Jesus was a real man, he lived in this space and time. He did many wonderful things while he was a live and said the he would rise from the dead, therefore confirming everything he did. There are witnesses that saw him after he was resurrected, and it can be validated that this man did in fact conquer death. What we must all ask ourselves is what we are going to do about that information. Will we ignore it? Will we say it isn’t true? Or will we do what Bill did, and embrace the one who died and took the penalty for what all of us have done? If you have questions about that; about God, about Jesus, about the Bible, or anything related, I am more than willing to sit down and talk with you about it and try my best to get you the truthful answers to your questions.

I want to close with these words of Scripture, that describe what has happened to Bill and will inevitably happen to all of us, after which we will sing a song

2 Corinthians 5:1–10 ESV

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.