William Austin Womeldorf, 80, of Cherryville, N.C., formerly of Harmony and Rimersburg, died at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the R.C. Athey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salsbury, N.C., after a brief illness.

Born Jan. 22, 1925, in Cottage Hill, Clarion County, he was the son of James Earl and Helen Bowser Womeldorf.

He attended the Squirrel Hill Elementary School. He served in the Navy and the Army during World War II and received the Purple Heart.

Mr. Womeldorf had been a coal miner. He then worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Butler and retired from Halstead Industries in Zelienople.

He was a Protestant. He enjoyed drawing, painting and woodworking.

Surviving are two daughters and sons-in-law, Wilma M. and Melton Jack of Whitebluff, Tenn., and Leona "Toni" and Kenneth Noland of Renfrew; a son and his wife, William "Bill" and Linda Womeldorf of Harmony; a stepdaughter, Wilda Redinger of Tionesta; 12 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

He also is survived by a brother, Robert Womeldorf of Butler; three half brothers, James Womeldorf of Kalamazoo, Mich., Wesley Womeldorf of Scranton and Lonnie "Butch" Womeldorf of Maiden, N.C.; two sisters, Hazel Martha Wyant of Rimersburg and Juanita "Skeet" Downing of Cherryville, N.C.; a half sister, Dorothy Fike and her husband, Donald, of Virginia; and a number of nieces and nephews.

His wife, Mary Ellen Ballentine Womeldorf, whom he married July 25, 1964, in Portersville, died Oct. 6, 1999. He also was preceded in death by his stepmother, Nathleen Womeldorf; two sisters, Mary Goodman and Jane Anthony; two half sisters, Marjorie Smeltzer and Myrtie Matlack; and two brothers, Reed and Samuel Womeldorf.

<B>WOMELDORF</B> — Friends of William Austin Womeldorf, who died Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the RICHARD D. HILLIS FUNERAL HOME, Rimersburg. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with the Rev. Mark Deeter, pastor of the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Church near Rimersburg, officiating. Burial will follow at the Squirrel Hill Cemetery, Porter Township, Clarion County.Military honors will be accorded at the funeral home by members of the Rimersburg VFW and the American Legion Ceremonial Squad.