Funeral services for 69-year-old William “Bill” Watkins of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning, January 6, 2015, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mountain Lake. The church is located at 1418 2nd Avenue. Pastor Peter Kufahl will serve as officiant at the services.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, at Sturm Funeral Home-Mountain Lake Chapel, located at 420 10th Street. A second visitation will be at the church the day of the funeral service from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Interment will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
William “Bill” Watkins passed away in his sleep on Friday, January 1, 2016.
Arrangements are with the Sturm Funeral Home-Mountain Lake Chapel. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.
William (Bill) Joseph Watkins was born on February 7, 1946, to Art and Viola (Kotten) Watkins in the Comfrey Hospital in Comfrey, Minnesota. He was baptized on February 17, 1946, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Comfrey. He was brought home to the farm to join his two older sisters and later, nine other brothers and sisters, and all of them knew he did not like the name “Billy.” He worked on the farm with his family and went to school at St. Paul’s School in Comfrey through 8th grade and then graduated from Comfrey High School, bringing with him many stories of teachers and football. He had enough stories to keep you listening for hours.
After his graduation, he worked at the Darfur elevator and implement dealer in Darfur, Minnesota, until he was drafted into the United States Army on February 4, 1965. He served two years, thirteen of those months in Vietnam. Bill was honorably discharged on February 3, 1967, and came home to Darfur.
Then one night he was at the ballroom in New Ulm and saw this pretty lady dancing and said, “That’s the woman I’m gonna marry.” On January 20, 1970, he married Mary Anna Reinhart and moved to a farm in the Darfur/Butterfield, Minnesota area, where they raised two sons. He also worked at Balzer and for a few other farmers in the Mountain Lake area.
He enjoyed working in his shop, taking old stuff and making something usable out if it (which he was quite gifted at doing), playing softball, cards, visiting, and seeing his five grandchildren, always wanting to help in any way he could.
He is survived by his sons, Dana (Linda Dick) Watkins and Dave (Tammy Loewen) Watkins, all of Mountain Lake; five grandchildren, Austin, Adam, Ashley, Michael and Kelly Watkins, all of Mountain Lake; mother, Viola Watkins of Comfrey; siblings, Rita (Dennis) Heidelberger of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, Carol Watkins of Comfrey, Jessica Watkins of Edgerly, North Dakota, Pete (Tanya) Watkins of Darfur, Patrick (Patricia) Watkins of Woodbury, Minnesota, Eugene Watkins of Fairmont, Minnesota, Daniel Watkins of Saratoga, California, Samuel (Michelle) Watkins of Hector, Minnesota, Alice Wills of St. Peter, Minnesota and Randy (Michele) Watkins of Eldorado Hills, California.
Bill was preceded in death by his father, Art; sister, Catherine; and wife, Anna, in May 2015.
Bill is now dancing with “mama” once again.