WILLIAM G. "BILL" BROWN

William G. “Bill” Brown, 84 long time educator and coach of Devils Lake passed away peacefully, with family at his side on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at the Heartland Care Center, Devils Lake. Funeral Services for Bill will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at the Gilbertson Funeral Home Chapel, Devils Lake with Fr. Asselin officiating. Friends may call at the Gilbertson Funeral Home on Friday from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until time of service. Burial will be in the Devils Lake Cemetery with Military Honors accorded by the Neathery-Simensen Post #756, Devils Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Team. Music will be provided by Patty Cote. Reading the Scriptures will be Aaron Sigette. William George was born on September 24, 1927 at Monango, North Dakota the son of William and Lillian (Streeter) Brown. He attended Monango Public School and graduated from Monango High School with the class of 1945. Bill entered the United States Army on March 25, 1946 at Ft. Snelling, MN and served in the Army Air Force in Alaska, receiving an honorable discharge on August 17, 1947 at Great Falls, Montana. He was discharged with the rank of Technician 4th Grade. After Bill’s discharge, he attended Ellendale State Teacher’s College and received his teaching certificate in 1950. He taught business and coached at Driscoll, Wyndmere, New Rockford and Devils Lake, retiring in 1988. He continued as a substitute teacher with the Devils Lake School System until December of 2009. He also worked for many years as a Crop Hail Adjuster for Great American Insurance Company. Bill was united in marriage to Marcella Hlavnicka at Wyndmere in 1954. Marcella died in 1974. Bill and Janice (Bremseth) Dettling were married in 1976 in Devils Lake where they made their home through the years. Bill loved watching any and all kinds of sports and playing cards, especially pinochle. But his first love was always teaching and being a part of the lives of all of his students. Bill is survived by his wife Janice; daughters Sandra (John) Eichhorn of Wahpeton, ND, Shelly (Ron) Schneider and Lisa (Scott) Sigette all of Devils Lake and Lynne (Jeff) DeStefano of Tucson, Arizona; step children Darcy (Dennis) Klein of Grand Forks, ND, Mike (Kay) Dettling and Rod (Dawn) Dettling all of Cheyenne, Wyoming; thirteen grandchildren; four step grandchildren; three step great grandchildren; daughter-in-law Jennifer Harold of Abilene, Kansas; sister Barbara Wald of Moorhead, MN and several nieces and nephews. Bill was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Marcella; son Bill Brown Jr.; brother Alan Brown and sisters Mildred Brown and Dorothy Dockter.