William Stuart Mollring
William Stuart Mollring, of Imperial, Nebraska, died peacefully at Centennial Park Retirement Village in North Platte on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at the age of 78.
William, known as Bill by family and friends, was born on Aug. 11, 1942 at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings. The third child of Winfield Scott and Olga Marie (Christianson) Mollring, Bill grew up in the small, rural town of Holbrook where his father was a farmer and livestock dealer, and his mother managed the household.
Bill had two loving older sisters, Marjorie and Janet, who helped to look after him. Bill was a representative at Cornhusker Boys’ State and crowned as Homecoming King at Holbrook High School where he graduated in 1960. He then attended McCook College and received an Associate of Arts degree in Marketing before transferring to University of Omaha (now University of Nebraska at Omaha) to continue studies in marketing.
As a promising athlete, Bill enjoyed playing a variety of sports, including baseball, basketball and track and field. He was known for his speed and delivered a long-held relay record with his teammates at McCook College. Bill particularly loved football as both a player and spectator. He played in high school, at McCook College, University of Omaha and as a Defensive Back for the 1965 Lincoln Comets, part of the Professional Football League of America. Bill would cheer for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Denver Broncos throughout his life and have an astute point of view on almost any NFL or college football game going.
During his high school days, Bill met the daughter of a department store owner, Janet Jeanine Williams, from the neighboring town of Arapahoe.
They married on Aug. 17, 1963 and later had three boys - Nicholas Shane, Tyler Jon, and Jason William. During their marriage, they lived in Lincoln then Imperial and eventually moved out west to Monterey, California in 1979. Jan and Bill divorced in 1983. Bill would go on to have a significant relationship with Leslie Knoles, who he met in Monterey, for many years.
As an entrepreneur, Bill got involved with numerous businesses throughout his life. Early in his career, he managed Der Lofenstein, a German restaurant and bar in Lincoln. In Imperial, he ran three businesses, Jack & Jill grocery store, Woodstock Pizza and Sweden Creme fast food restaurant. He even ran the food service business for a season at Geneva Basin Ski Resort in Colorado. In Monterey, Bill managed fine dining restaurants such as The Sardine Factory, The Rogue and Gallatin’s, amongst others. He got involved in ventures such as Chili Great Chili restaurant and Corral de Tierra market and gas station.
Given the region’s propensity to attract tourists, Bill created an enterprise called Insight and Sound to produce a self-guided audio tour of the Monterey Peninsula on cassette. Although not quite a career move, Bill, his mother, Olga, and two sons, Shane and Tyler, found themselves as extras in the 1981 comedy sketch and music video movie, Elephant Parts, by Michael Nesmith, formerly of The Monkees. Bill would go on to work for a destination management company, USA Hosts in Monterey, before moving to Maui, Hawaii, in the early 1990s to start a successful Mail Boxes Etc. franchise.
In later life he returned and retired in Imperial where he became a member of ABATE of Nebraska, a social member of VFW Canteen and joined the First United Methodist Church.
Bill was known for his charisma, sense of humor and generosity. He loved music, good food and to socialize with friends and strangers alike. Of course, no person is perfect, and Bill had his imperfections and challenges. Amongst his hardships, Bill’s health was a matter of concern for years. He survived multiple heart attacks, a stroke and prostate and bone cancer.
Bill was very proud of his three sons and loved his family, especially his four grandchildren Brooke (husband Kevin) Atlas, Travis Mollring, Rosson Mollring and Lila Mollring and great grandson, Acre James Atlas.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Scott and Olga Mollring; sisters Marjorie and her husband Fay Story, and Janet Hays; nephew Joel Story; niece-in-law Rhoda Story; and great nephew, Cody Warden.
He is survived by his children Shane (wife Carrie), Tyler and Jason; grandchildren and great-grandchild; nephews and nieces, Craig (wife Kay) Story, Sue Moore, Kent Story, Marc (wife Cheri) Story, Rick (wife Deborah Williams) Hays, LeeAnne Hays, Christine Hays (husband Ole) McKellip; and numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations go to the Imperial Community Foundation Fund at https://www.nebcommfound.org/give/imperial-community-foundation-fund/ First United Methodist Church in Imperial, Nebraska (https://umcimperial.org/donations/), a contribution towards funeral expenses to the family or the charity of your choice in Bill’s memory.
A memorial of Bill’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 23, 2021, followed by a luncheon at First United Methodist Church, 420 Holland, Imperial.