William G. Hinkebein (Bill), the oldest son of Sylvester and Stella (Pratt) Hinkebein, was born on April 18, 1942, in St. Louis, Missouri, and passed away on July 13, 2023, at North Kansas City Hospital.
Bill was the oldest of seven boys, his brothers are Alvin of Lewisville, Texas; Richard (Kay) of Wentzville, Missouri; Darrell (Debbie) of Nixa, Missouri; Kevin (Valerie) of Farmington, Missouri; Michael of Farmington, Missouri, and sister-in-law Agnes Hinkebein of Farmington, Missouri. Other survivors are sisters-in-law Patricia (Robert Biggerstaff) of St. Louis, Missouri; Grace (Dennis Wagner) of Shell Knob, Missouri, and brother-in-law Francis Pfaff (Pamela) of Farmington, Missouri. Bill is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Bill was raised on a farm outside Farmington, Missouri, with his parents and six brothers. He attended elementary school at Valle Catholic School in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, and later at St. Joseph Elementary and High School in Farmington, Missouri. After high school, he attended Flat River Junior College (now Mineral Area Community College) and earned his Associate Degree. Bill continued his education at the University of Missouri, earning two BS degrees in Animal Husbandry and Ag Education. He also obtained his Master’s Degree and Specialist Degree in Agriculture Education.
He started his teaching career in Windsor, Missouri, from January 1966 to May 1971 when he moved to Clinton Vocational School in Clinton, Missouri, and remained there until May 1978. He then moved to Chillicothe, Missouri, and taught agriculture at North Central Missouri College (NCMC) located in Trenton, Missouri. He remained at NCMC as a full-time teacher for 25 years and continued as a part-time educator until his death. When he retired, he had accumulated 37.5 years of full-time classroom teaching. He enjoyed his students and aimed to instill in them a love for agriculture. Bill initiated the equine program at NCMC and always hoped to share the joy of horseback riding with his students. For over 20 years, Bill, along with agriculture students at NCMC, provided horseback riding classes to handicapped students in Trenton and Chillicothe areas.
On June 18, 1966, Bill married Jeanne Pfaff, and they had four children. Their oldest son, William, died 30 hours after birth due to prematurity. The remaining living children and their families are Julia Lynn (Jamie Reeter), children Jalynn of Arlington, TX; Josie, Jackson, and Jessica of Chillicothe, Missouri; Christopher William (Tiffeny Dominique) Hinkebein, daughters Maecy and Marin of Kansas City, Missouri; and Elizabeth Ann (Tony Heil), sons Joseph William (J.W.) and Jacob Edwin of Carrollton, Missouri. Bill and Jeanne spent many hours attending their children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events, band concerts, play productions, and 4H horse shows and competitions. They consider their family to be their greatest blessing.
In 1985, Bill began showing his horses in the North America Trail Ride Conference (NATRC). Over the years, he accumulated over 14,000 miles of competition. He received numerous awards, including National Championships on 10 different horses, a distinction no one in NATRC has ever achieved. The successes in NATRC required an additional minimum of 14,000 miles of training and riding skills to reach this level of merit. Two of his greatest achievements were having his daughter, Elizabeth, ride with him and win first place in Region 6 Youth Division. Several years later, two granddaughters would also ride with him. At the end of the second season, Bill, Jessica, and Josie attained their National Championships, with Jessica being ranked number one in the nation and Josie in second place.
Alongside NATRC competitions, Bill and his family attended a yearly trail ride held around Duke, Missouri, in the beautiful Ozarks. As of 2023, the entire family still attends this ride and will be receiving a 45-year attendance award for Bill, his wife, Jeanne, and their three living children.
Preceding Bill in death were his parents, brother Gerald Hinkebein of Farmington, Missouri, sister-in-law Vivienne Hinkebein of Lewisville, Texas, and infant son, William.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 PM, followed by the rosary, on August 8, 2023, at Heritage Funeral Home, and the funeral Mass will be held on August 9, 2023, at 11 AM at St. Columban Catholic Church with burial in St. Columban Cemetery.
Instead of flowers, memorials may be made to the North Central Missouri College Agricultural Department, St. Columban Catholic Church, or Pediatric Cancer Research.
