Meet President Walter Rudolph Bills

LDS Church News
Week ending June 1, 1968

Walter Rudolph Bills of Monument Park West Stake in Salt Lake City has been called to preside over a mission.

The First Presidency has not advised him which mission will be his responsibility as yet.

Both Pres. Bills and his wife, Elsie Mathea Torgerson, served in the Japanese Mission in Hawaii from 1939 to 1941 before they were married.

Their son, Walter L., now married, completed a mission in Japan , as did their son Donald O., who is now attending the U. of U. A third son Jon Kenneth, 21 is presently on a mission in Japan.

Their other children, Gerald Scott, 18; Randall Clark, 16; Russel Craig, 15; Lori Colleen, 13, and Ronald Frank, 7, agreed that they would all be on missions with their parents after they leave about July 1.

Pres. And Mrs. Bills worked in the Salt Lake Regional Mission for 5-1/2 years with Pres. Bills heading the work. He also served as a guide on Temple Square for 18 years and as a Temple guide in Laie, Hawaii, for 11 months.

Other Church duties included work as a high councilor, a member of bishoprics in Alhambra Ward, California, and Monument Park 3rd Ward, Salt Lake City, first counselor in the St. George, Utah, stake high priest presidency, stake MIA superintendency in Highland Stake, Salt Lake City, and Sunday School teacher.

At the time of his call, Pres. Bills was general sales manager for the White Products Corp. of Grand Rapids, Mich. He also had been a pilot in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and was the first cadet to receive an outstanding award for Military Science, Flying and Academics. He attended the Oneonta Military Academy and East Central States College.

Mrs. Bills, a student at the LDS Business College and U. of U. also has had much Church experience in addition to a large family. She was MIA president in St. George East and Canyoncrest Wards, Relief Society and Primary presidents in Monument Park 3rd Ward in addition to teaching classes in Primary, MIA and Sunday School.