William “Bill” Halvorsen
HALVORSEN, ALMOND, STIGERS, DEEVERS, ROBERTS, COATES, BARR, RIGGAN, SATURDAY, SPORTS, KUEPKER, FULTS
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 11/13/2017 at 09:44:10
William “Bill” Halvorsen, 94, of 718 9th Avenue in Coralville, passed peacefully Sunday afternoon in his home surrounded by his loving family.
Bill’s family will greet friends Wednesday from 4:00 -7:00 pm at Lensing’s Oak Hill, 210 Holiday Road in Coralville. Military flag presentation & taps will be held at 6:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials may be directed to The William Halvorsen Memorial Fund.
Bill was born December 19th, 1922 in Elma, Iowa to William and Maude (Almond) Halvorsen.
Bill was a 1942 graduate of University High School in Iowa City. In May 1943 Bill enlisted in the Army. His first action was the invasion of Italy at Anzio. There he was captured and spent 15 months in several German prison camps before being liberated in May of 1945.
In September 1945 Bill was released from the hospital and took the train home to Coralville. As he was walking home from the train station, he came upon his sister and her friend, Joanne. Bill describes this moment as “love at first sight.” He and Joanne quickly fell in love, but due to their family’s religious differences, neither family approved of their relationship. But after an 11 month courtship, and against their families wishes, they wed on June 20th, 1946 at The Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.
Bill and Joanne built a life together in Coralville where they raised 7 children together. Bill worked as a carpenter and mason at Halvorsen Construction until retiring at age 75.
Bill is described as the kindest man you’d ever meet. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather. And if you ask his grandchildren, he was also the greatest fisherman that ever lived.
Bill was a faithful servant to God and the “rock” of the Halvorsen Family. Together with his wife Joanne, or “Jo” as he so lovingly called her, they were true examples of faith, family and love.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents, William & Maude Halvorsen; his wife Joanne Halvorsen; a daughter Jeanette Halvorsen; a brother Robert “Bud” Halvorsen; a son Robert “Bob” Halvorsen and a great-grandson, Liam Michael Stigers.
Bill is survived by his sister Alta Deevers of FL; son John (Cindy) Halvorsen of SC; daughters, Barb (Mike) Roberts of Tiffin; Judy (Bob) Coates of AR; Joan Barr of Coralville and Polly Riggan of Tiffin; grandchildren John (Cheryl) Halvorsen of SC; Sonja (Steve) Saturday of SC; Chad (Lacey) Halvorsen of SC; Brian (Kim) Halvorsen of Tiffin; Jamie Halvorsen of Oelwein; Linzee Barr (Tonya) of Coralville; Stephanie (Jeremy) Sports of NC; Amy Coates of AR; Ashlee (Ryan) Stigers of Homestead; Anna Coates of Coralville; Chelsey (Craig) Kuepker of North Liberty and Emily (Clint) Fults of Tiffin; 15 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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