Wilhelm "Bill"'s Obituary
Bill Wegner, 91, joined our Lord and Savior in Heaven on October 11, 2022. Visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 4, 2022, at O’Connor Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at Trinity Lutheran Church with burial to follow at Highland Cemetery.
Wilhelm R. Wegner was born April 10, 1931, to Amalia “Molly” and Rudolph “Rudy” Wegner, in Billings, MT. He was the second oldest of seven children. His siblings are Mary, Betty, Lillian “Lil,” Earl “Bruce,” Edwin “Ed,” and Kenneth “Ken.” He was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Billings. In 1962, his father married Billie Ballard and Bill gained a stepmother and stepbrother, Stanley Armstrong.
As a child, he was raised in Billings and on a ranch in the snowy mountains and continued to pursue a ranching career until 1969, which during this time, he married Molly Fleming in 1954 and later moved to Shawmut, MT. They were married until 1981. During this time, they raised five children. David, Rudolph “Rudy,” Alan, Karen, and Mark. In 1969, he enrolled at the Lay Training Institute in Milwaukee, WI to prepare for service in the church as a consecrated lay worker. He moved to Laurel, MT in 1969, at which time, he worked at the feed lot and studied to get his GED waiting for his schooling to start in September of 1969. He then moved to Milwaukee, WI from 1969-1971 for school, graduating in May 1971. Upon completing his studies in 1971, he received an assignment as Missionary-at-Large for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and moved to Delavan, WI. In 1974, the South Wisconsin District called him as Missionary-at-Large to the deaf. In January of 1976, he moved to Great Falls, MT and served as missionary to the deaf in various communities. In August 1978, he returned to Harlowton, MT where he worked on a ranch and served Trinity Lutheran Church of Harlowton as part-time lay minister. From 1981-1988, he served Trinity Lutheran Church of Harlowton as full-time lay minister. During this time, he met and married Helen Daag Seyfert in 1985, and he gained six stepchildren. They were together until her passing in 1995. In 1988, he accepted an assignment to serve Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church of Troy, MT as a worker-priest. In 1991, when Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church closed, he was asked by the Missions Committee of the Montana District to serve Christ for the Deaf Congregation in Great Falls. Included in his assignment was the task of visiting the deaf in various communities of the District and to assist in developing plans for future ministry to the deaf in the Montana District retiring in 1993. After he retired, he stayed in Great Falls and in 1996, he met Lucille Rauning Terry. They married in 1997, and he gained three more stepchildren. They were married until her passing in 2014. He lived the remaining years of his life in Great Falls, MT. In retirement, he continued to volunteer his time to the church and visiting shut-ins. Speaking about the word of God with them and giving communion to those who were unable to make it to church. In 2000, he received the “Amicus Christi Award.”
Wilhelm was preceded in death by his parents, Amalia and Rudolph Wegner; stepmother, Billie Wegner; wives, Molly VanHouten, Helen Wegner, and Lucille Wegner; brother, Ed Wegner; brothers-in-law, Frank Wrzesinsk, Jim Stewart, Donald Grove, and Virgil Norton; sister-in-law, Adeline Wegner; stepbrother, Stanley Armstrong; and stepsister-in-law, Eileen Armstrong.
He is survived by his sisters, Mary Norton, Betty Grove, and Lillian (Bruce) DeVries; brothers, Bruce (Emma) Wegner, and Ken (Shirley) Wegner; sister-in-law, Kathy Wegner; sons, David Wegner, Rudy (Joy) Wegner, Alan (Denise) Wegner, and Mark (Dona) Wegner; daughter, Karen (Sam) Spicer; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nephews, nieces, great-nephews and nieces, and great-great nephews and nieces. Helen’s children, David, Denise, Dan, Darlene, Corinne, and Susan; many step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Lucille’s children, Janet, Jim, Jean, and many step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Bill loved his family and his work serving the Lord. He will be missed by many. One of his favorite comments was “Servants of Christ never retire they only die tired.”
Our family would like to give our thanks and gratitude to the Benefis Hospital, Grandview Assisted Living, doctors, medical staff, and workers for their caring attention they gave to our father. A La Care and to the Hosanna Home staff for their caring attention to our father for the very short time he was there.
Because of Bill’s love in serving the Deaf and Blind communities and reading the Gospel to the daycare children in lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Christ Lutheran for the Deaf, 3340 11th Ave So, Great Falls, MT 59405 or Wee Disciples Day Care Center, 1226 1st Ave No, Great Falls, MT 59401.
