Bill Wegner

William “Bill” Wegner, 70, of Murdock, died August 31st at his home.  A visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, September 16th, followed by a Prayer Service at 7 pm at Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar .  Interment with Military Honors will be 1 p.m. Friday, September 17th, at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.  The family request that memorials be directed to the Bill Wegner Scholarship Fund at KMS Public Schools.

William Olvin Wegner was born on April 26, 1951, to Lawrence “Butch” and Lorraine (Shelstad) in Raymond, Minnesota.  He was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Raymond.  Bill attended Raymond Public Schools and graduated with honors from Raymond High School in 1969.  While in high school, he participated in many sports, student government, National Honor Society, and attended Legion Boys State in 1968.  Bill also enjoyed playing in the band, singing in choir and participating in theatre.

He continued his education by attending the University of Minnesota, Morris for two years and then enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served for four years.  While in the Army, he attended and studied at the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center, and the U.S. Army Security Agency Training Center School.  He served as a cryptologic linguist analyst stationed in Berlin, Germany when it was a separated, walled city.  For his efforts, he received the Meritorious Service Medal.  Following his tour of duty, he completed his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, Morris.

He started his career as a mathematics educator in Brandon, Minnesota, where he taught for two years.  He then became employed at KMS Public Schools, where he taught until his retirement in 2010.  Besides his teaching duties, Bill also served as an assistant football coach and assistant girls basketball coach.  He received his Master of Education in mathematics from the University of Minnesota College of Education in 1994.

Bill was a member of Education Minnesota, Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Pheasants Forever, the VFW, and the Raymond American Legion Post, where he directed the decoration of veterans’ graves in the Raymond area for each Memorial Day.  Bill loved spending time with family and friends.  He was an active hunting and fishing enthusiast.  He absolutely enjoyed solving crypto and crossword puzzles.  He was a talented woodworker and enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and Europe.  His photography of KMS student activities is legendary.  He spent countless hours creating booklets for sports team members with individual and team photos for each student. He created and presented CDs of pictures from their sports and activities to graduating seniors and continued this practice throughout his retirement.  His dedication to the youth of KMS was impeccable.

Bill is survived by his brother: Robert “Bob” (and Carol) Wegner of Willmar, MN; his nephews: Jonathan Wegner of Otsego, MN, and Joseph (and Greta) Wegner and son, Samuel of Falcon Heights, MN; his niece: Kristin Wegner of Garrett Park, MD, and other relatives and friends.  He was preceded in death by his parents: Butch and Lorraine Wegner.

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