William C. Osterhaus

DYERSVILLE, IOWA

William C. Osterhaus, 81, of Guttenberg and formerly of Dyersville, died Friday, October 17, 2025, at the Guttenberg Care Center.

A visitation will be held from 10 am – 12 noon at the Kramer – Morris Funeral Home in Dyersville on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, where a memorial service will commence at Noon. Bill’s niece, Jenny Nadermann, will officiate. Private burial will be held at a later date at St. Francis Cemetery in Dyersville.

Bill was born September 12, 1944, in Dyersville, Iowa the 3rd child of eight to Clarence “Clay” and Irene (Demmer) Osterhaus. After birth he developed rheumatoid arthritis which would plague him for the rest of his life. However, it did not deter him from achieving his goals. He graduated from Xavier High School and went to Springfield, MO for typewriter repair training just in time for electric typewriters and word processors. He attended Loras College for a brief time. He worked in hospitals setting up traction for orthopedic patients in Omaha, NE and Denver, CO. Around 1976, he moved to Sol Solito, CA and lived on a houseboat.

Bill’s love of poetry helped him maneuver the ups and downs of life. He wrote pages and pages that expressed both happiness and grief. Another passion was bicycling, his annual goal was 2500 miles, and he participated in several RAGBRAI’s.

Many years have passed where he never cut his hair or shaved his beard, therefore he was a prime candidate to portray Santa Claus for many families and functions at Christmas time.

In 1985, he embarked on a round the world trip. From Moscow he took the Trans Siberian Railway across Russia, into Central Asia to Mongolia and into China. All along his journey he kept a photographic chronicle of his travels. From China he went to visit his brother, Larry, in Australia and traveled extensively around the continent until his visa expired. Photography continued to be a passion the rest of his life portraying everything from weddings to landscapes to wildlife. He could seldom be caught without at least some of his equipment.

Between all of his adventures he had to succumb to many surgeries to replace hips, ankles and knees. He rebounded and recovered each time. In 2004, he suffered a massive stroke that reduced the function of ½ of his body and nearly all of his speech. For nearly a year he moved between different care centers for therapy. His brother, Gene, purchased a mobile home and made it completely accessible for him and they lived together until 2012, when Gene passed away. Bill remained relatively independent, taking his mobile vehicle to the store to purchase groceries and necessities, often wearing his Santa hat. In 2024, he felt that living alone became too difficult and decided to move to the Guttenberg Care Center. He made a remarkable adjustment from his independent lifestyle.

Our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation go to all who helped and entertained him.

Bill is survived his siblings: Joan (Dave) Kramer of Dyersville, Tom (Rosie) of Carmel, IN, Al (Ellie) Merriam, KS, Ron of Wheat Ridge, CO, and Jim (Sue) of Guttenberg, IA; a sister-in-law, Penny Osterhaus of Bowral, NSW, Australia; several nieces and nephews to whom Bill was a mentor and caretaker.

He is preceded in death by his parents, 2 brothers: Gene and Larry, and a sister-in-law, Bonnie Osterhaus.

Kramer-Morris Funeral Home in Dyersville is assisting the family. Information is available at https://www.kramer-morrisfuneralhome.com.