William E. 'Bill' Hollern, 74
William E. "Bill" Hollern, age 74, of Clear Lake, Wis., passed on peacefully in his sleep at home on Saturday, Nov. 26.
William E. "Bill" Hollern, age 74, of Clear Lake, Wis., passed on peacefully in his sleep at home on Saturday, Nov. 26.
William Edward Hollern was born on June 27, 1937, in Eau Claire, Wis., the son of Edward and Ruth (Cleasby). He grew up in Eau Claire and was baptized and confirmed at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. Bill attended St. Patrick's Elementary School before moving on to high school at Osseo/Fairchild. In 1955, he joined the U.S. Air Force, was trained as an electrical engineer specializing in RADAR technology, and served until he was honorably discharged in 1958. After his stint in the Air Force, Bill spent 18 months in Thule, Greenland, working on the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System. Upon his return to the States, he worked for General Electric, first in Syracuse, N.Y., then in Phoenix, Ariz. Shortly thereafter, Bill took a position with Fabri-Tek in Amery, Wis., as an electrical engineer. There he met Karla Johnson, and the two were married at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Amery on Aug. 27, 1966. Together they made their home in Clear Lake and raised three children, Kenneth, Bradley, and Marianne. In 1968, he began employment at Land O'Lakes in Clear Lake where he remained until 1982. He then pursued a career in insurance as a salesman and as an inspector. Later he returned to electronics and retired from Unisource in 1999. For the next 10 years, he bartended at Club 53 in Amery.
Over the years, Bill was an active member of the Clear Lake community, serving many capacities in the Clear Lake American Legion, most recently as chaplain. He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus and St. John's Catholic Church in Clear Lake, serving periodically on the church council. In his spare time, Bill enjoyed gardening and was an avid Packer, Badger, and Brewer fan. He especially loved spending time with Karla, his kids and grandchildren.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Ruth Hollern.
He is survived by his wife, Karla Hollern, Clear Lake; sons and daughter, Kenneth (Lisa) Hollern, New Richmond, Wis., Bradley Hollern, Clear Lake, Marianne (Patrick) Lillie, Clear Lake; grandchildren, PFC USMC Mitchell Hollern, Connor Hollern, Brianna Hollern, Maraya Anderson, Tyler Hollern, Trever Hollern, Kendra Pechaver, Amanda Pechaver, Camryn Lillie, and Peyton Lillie; brother, Robert Hollern, Eau Claire.
Mass of Christian Burial 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, St. John's Catholic Church - Clear Lake. Celebrant - Fr. Norbert D'Mello. Music - Laura Mara. Casketbearers - Mitchell Hollern, Al Bannink, Bruce Johnson, Arlie Johnson, Erik Wilhelm, Chris Wilhelm. Interment - Clear Lake Cemetery, Clear Lake. Military honors - Clear Lake Area Veterans Honor Guard.
Scheuermann-Hammer Funeral Home of Clear Lake handled the arrangements.
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