William D. Frizzell, age 83, of Amherst, WI, passed away on Tuesday, December 16th, 2014 at Arbor View Ct., Wisconsin Rapids, WI.
He was born in Phelps, WI on May 25, 1931, a son of the late J. William and Velma M. (Kjer) Frizzell. He married Ida M. Rosin on August 11, 1956 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Amherst. Survivors include: his wife, Ida Frizzell, Amherst, WI; daughter, Nicole (Mark) Jenks, Amherst, WI; grandchildren, Gabrielle and Bryce Heiman, Amherst, WI; brothers, Thomas (Roxanne) Frizzell, Bayfield, WI; John (Jean) Frizzell, West Bend, WI; and sister-in-law, Audrey Bockenhauer, Huntley, IL. He is further survived by numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, in-laws – Gilbert and Agnes Rosin, and one sister – Lucy Villa.
Bill attended elementary school at Nelsonville, WI and graduated from Amherst High School in 1949 playing basketball on the Central Wisconsin Conference Championship Team. He served proudly in the US Army from Feb. 1952 until his honorable discharge Jan. 1954. He attended Wisconsin State College, Stevens Point on the GI Bill, graduating with a BS Degree in Education and later a Masters Degree from UW Madison. As an elementary teacher and administrator he served many communities in Wisconsin as well as teaching for the US Government Dependents Education Group in France only 30 kilometers from the base where he had served in the Signal Corp tapping into the “back home” Milwaukee Braves baseball games. He furthered his career as as an employee with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture retiring in 1996 but continuing in cranberry inspection for 15 years. He enjoyed playing catcher for Amherst Junction Baseball Team playing at Lake Emily. Later he coached Tomorrow River Area Summer Youth Baseball. He enjoyed umpiring slow pitch baseball and refereeing basketball. He was an avid horse shoe team participant and bowler. He played a vicious game of sheepshead and mental computation of numbers were his forte often recalling the exact dates of events years gone by. He served as treasurer for Lanark for 11 years. Volunteering was his blessing as a member of Amherst Lions and especially serving at the Iola Car Show each summer. He held membership in the Local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post # 1134. Family, especially his daughter Nicole and grandchildren Gabby and Bryce and friendship gatherings, picnics and watching sport events via TV and radio were his joy.
He was an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at Amherst where a Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 20, 2014, with Rev. Don Johnson officiating. Interment of cremains will be in the Lower Amherst Cemetery at a later date. Memorial Visitation will be held on Friday, from 4 until 7 p.m. at the Jungers-Holly Funeral Home in Amherst and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Bill’s name to Orphan Grain Train or Tomorrow River Scholarship Foundation Inc.