William "Bill" V. Hallberg

William "Bill" V. Hallberg, 92, of Willmar, died Saturday, June 13th at Bethesda Grand in Willmar.  His funeral will be 11:00 am, Saturday, June 20th at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Kandiyohi with interment and military honors in the church cemetery.  Visitation will be from 3-7:00 pm, Friday, June 19th at Harvey Anderson & Johnson Funeral Home in Willmar and continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.  www.hafh.org

Bill and his twin brother, Charles, were born to Harry and Florence (Bergquist) Hallberg on July 12, 1933, at their home in Green Lake Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. He was baptized at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Kandiyohi, where he was also confirmed and a lifetime member.

Bill went to country school in District #86 for eight years and to Atwater High School, where he graduated in 1951, and began working on the family farm. In September 1954, Bill and twin brother, Charles were drafted to the army. They took basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Camp Chaffee, Arkansas and then 16 months in Dachau, Germany, with the 287 Field Artillery Battalion. They were discharged in September 1956 and he worked for a short time for Halvorson Implement in Spicer.

On May 25, 1957, Bill married the love of his life, Marvis Knudsen, at Ebenezer Lutheran Church. In early 1958, they bought a small farm and built up a dairy operation.

Bill was an active member of his community. He was on the Kandiyohi Coop Elevator Board of Directors for ten years, a Green Lake Township Supervisor for 30 years, a member of the Kandiyohi County Township Board Association for eight years and served on the Bethesda Board for six years. He received a County Conservation Association Recipient Award and was a member of the American Legion, the Kandiyohi County Woodcarvers Association, and the Kandiyohi County Historical Society where he often accompanied Marvis to Heritage Searchers Genealogy Club.

After they sold the dairy cows in 1992, he continued to farm the land. Bill discovered wood carving as a hobby and his carvings won many ribbons at the Kandiyohi County Fair. His woodcarving gifts are treasured by family and friends alike.

Bill and Marvis loved to travel. They visited all 50 states and took several trips to Europe. One highlight was a trip to Sweden and Denmark with their three sons to visit relatives and their ancestral homelands. He loved to camp with his family and grandkids. They spent seven winters in Arizona and reunited annually with Bill’s Army buddies.

In May 2009, he retired from farming and they moved to Willmar. His lifelong example of gentleness, kindness, love, patience, and generosity impacted the lives of many who knew and loved him.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Marvis (Knudsen) Hallberg, of Willmar; sons, Peter (Jean) Hallberg of Lester Prairie, Roger (Carolyn) Hallberg of Willmar, and John Hallberg (Steve Ouren), of Fargo, ND; grandchildren: Amber Hallberg (David Tomporowski), Lona (Chris) Hendricks, Jena (Andy) Strei, Bryanna (Ben) Burrows, Megan (Dakota) Bang, and Ryan (Erin) Hallberg; great-grandchildren Theodore and Teiko Tomporowski, Ella and William Hendricks, Amelia and Soren Burrows, Dorothy and Mordecai Bang, and Oliver Hallberg; sisters-in-law, LaDonna Hallberg-Sook, Carol (David) Knudsen Hendrickson, and Darlene Knudsen; brothers-in-law, Terry Thompson, Norman (Klidoris) Knudsen, Melvin (Barb) Knudsen, Wayne (Kay) Knudsen, and Larry (Deb) Knudsen; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Florence Hallberg, twin brother, Charles Hallberg, sister and brother-in-law, Betty (Ardell) Thompson, and sister-in-law, Audrey Thompson.

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