William "Bill" Frasher

William “Bill” Frasher, 91, went to be with his Lord and Savior on December 30, 2022, with his loving wife of 67 years, Barbara Hailey Frasher, by his side.

Visitation will be January 14, at 10:00am, followed by Memorial Service at 11:00am, both at First Baptist Church of Oak Grove, 400 SE 14th Street, Oak Grove MO. The Graveside Service will immediately follow at Mecklin Cemetery, three miles north of Oak Grove.

Bill was born in Waverly, MO on March 20, 1931, to George and Katherine McIntyre Frasher. They moved to Napoleon, MO in 1936. Bill attended Napoleon Elementary School, but was recruited with several other farm boys to attend Lexington High School to play football. He was appropriately nicknamed “Rabbit” due to his running prowess on the football field and the track. He graduated in 1949. Bill served in the United States Navy from 1950 to 1954. He was a Korean War Veteran and a Petty Officer 3rd Class and radio signal technician on the US naval heavy cruiser, USS Albany. On a home leave toward the end of his military service, Bill stopped into a small café in Levasy, MO to buy a pack of gum. It was there that he met the love of his life and future wife, Barbara Hailey. They were married on February 1, 1955.

The couple bought a little house in Levasy, MO and started their family of five. A daughter, Cindy, was born while Bill was working as a Telegraph Operator for the railroad and attending engineering college. Soon two sons, David and James, followed in close succession.

Bill graduated from Finlay Engineering College in 1958 with a BS Degree in Civil Engineering. He was licensed as a Professional Engineer in the State of Missouri. Upon graduation, he began his career working for the Highway Department in Effingham, IL. Thereafter, Bill returned to Kansas City to work for the engineering firm of Burns and McDonnell. He was Resident Engineer for the Kansas City International Airport and Hall’s Crown Center in Kansas City. Bill was Superintendent of Construction for several large projects, including nuclear power plants, school buildings and airports in Missouri, New York, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

Except for some short periods living in Effingham, IL and Buffalo, NY, the family made their home on Mecklin School Road north of Oak Grove, MO, moving onto their present farm in 1962.

Bill and Barbara opened a Western Auto Store in Lexington, MO in 1975, which transitioned to a home furnishing store that they operated until 1982. Bill and Barbara started Frasher’s Doll Auctions in 1984. Over the past forty years their business has grown into one of the premier doll auction companies in the world. Frasher’s was noted in the Guinness Book of Records in 1993 for obtaining the highest price ever paid for a doll at auction.

Bill is survived by his wife, Barbara, of the home; children, Cindy (Vernon) Darling of Napoleon, MO, David (Gianina) Frasher of Oak Grove, MO; grandchildren, Jackson (Laura) Herbst, Tessa (Alex) Burgher, and Mila Frasher; great grandchildren, Jonah and Eva Burgher.

Bill was preceded in death by his son, James Frasher, his parents and two sisters, Helen Frasher and Lucille (William) Kuefel.