William "Bill" Mettlin, Sr.

William “Bill” Darl Mettlin Sr., 80, of Grundy Center, died May 4, 2026.

Bill was born September 21, 1945, to Robert and Dorothy (Purinton) Mettlin. He grew up in small towns throughout Iowa, working on farms. Bill often said he was educated by the “School of Hard Knocks.”

Bill worked for the City of Waterloo, beginning as a garbage collector before joining the street department. He jokingly said his greatest accomplishment there was “holding up a shovel.” He especially enjoyed wintertime because of the overtime hours spent plowing snow, though he never liked the cold. After 30 years of service, Bill retired from the City of Waterloo in December 2007 as an Equipment Operator II.

Bill loved cars and was a mechanic at heart.

On March 24,1966, Bill married Eleanor “Ellie” Foster in Waterloo. During their marriage they were blessed with four children: William Jr., Brenda, Kirk, and Kevin. Bill and Ellie later divorced.

Bill married Connie Hess on April 21, 1992. Together they raised their daughter, Aerial Hess, and son, Grant Mettlin. They also enjoyed raising horses and goats on their farm.

Bill is survived by his children, William Jr. (Tammie) Mettlin of Hudson, Kirk (Tammy) Mettlin, Kevin (Christina) Mettlin, and Matt Earle, all of Waterloo; Aerial Hess of Sioux Rapids, Grant Mettlin of Conrad, and stepson David Hess. He is also survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; three sisters, Carolyn Kientoff of Indianola, Kitty Anderson of Nebraska, and Susan McBride (Terry) of Waterloo; and two brothers, Dave (Judy) Harper of Minnesota and Chester (Becky) Harper of Evansdale.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Connie Mettlin; daughter, Brenda Lee Mettlin; granddaughter, Nikki Marie Mettlin; brothers, Bob Mettlin Jr., K Lee Mettlin, Larry Harper, and Jim Harper.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on May 20, 2026, at the Community Church of Hudson, 226 Eldora Road, Hudson, Iowa. Abels Funeral and Cremation Service is assisting the family with arrangements.

Memorials may be directed to Grundy Care Center or Community Church of Hudson.