William Grant

William "Bill" Willis Grant, 71, Jamestown, ND, died Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at Essentia Health in Fargo, ND.

Bill was born on March 12, 1941 in Newton, Iowa to Willis Eugene and Juanita (Jones) Grant. He spent his early years in Newton where he was home schooled and attended Newton High School. After graduation, he attended Drake University before transferring to Jamestown College in Jamestown, ND, where he graduated with honors.

He worked as a federal bank examiner for several years until he moved to Denver, CO and worked for Englewood Colorado Industrial Bank and then managed several savings and loan associations. He moved to Alaska in 1977 and worked in Anchorage for several years.

When he returned to the "lower 48" he lived in Montana and worked for the State of Montana as a state bank examiner.

He then moved to Lamar, CO to work for a bank there until he returned to his beloved North Dakota. He moved to East Timor to help the country set up their banking system. Shortly after that the country became independent. While in East Timor, he met and later "adopted" a young student named Lily DeJesus. He helped her with her schooling and with her family after he returned to North Dakota.

He has many friends around the world and will be missed by everyone who knew him.

He will especially be missed by his closest friends, Lynn Ogden, Vancouver, B.C., Mike Genesco, Seattle, WA, Joan Dreith, Pocahontas, IA, Kevin Windish, Jamestown, Bob Halleran, Sarasota, FL, and his beloved, Lily DeJesus, East Timor.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He will be buried in his hometown of Newton, Iowa, at the Newton Union Cemetery.