William "Bill" Willers

Funeral services for William Frank “Bill” Willers, age 86, of Norfolk, Nebraska will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Home for Funerals Chapel, 708 Georgia Avenue, in Norfolk. Reverend Rodney Rixe will officiate, with interment in Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Norfolk. 

Visitation will be Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the chapel. 

Home for Funerals in Norfolk is in charge of arrangements.

Bill passed away Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Faith Health in Norfolk.

William Frank “Bill” Willers, son of Louis and Emma (Dangberg) Willers, of Winside, was born January 11, 1940, at the Lutheran Hospital, Norfolk. He was baptized and confirmed by Rev. H.M. Hilpert of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Winside, on February 4, 1940, and May 24, 1953, respectively. He graduated from Winside High School in 1957.

Rev. G.B. Frank united Bill and Miriam F. Kollath of Hoskins in marriage on November 16, 1958, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Hoskins. They resided in Hoskins before moving to the Kollath family farm in 1961, southeast of Hoskins in rural Stanton County, where they raised their two daughters. This was Bill and Miriam’s home until 2005, when they became Norfolk residents.

Bill was a Wayne County 4-H club member, exhibiting beef calves at the county fair, Norfolk Meat-Animal Exposition and Ak-Sar-Ben. He was a competitive basketball and softball player, member of the Hoskins Saddle Club and a Stanton County 4-H leader. 

He served on the church council of Trinity Lutheran Church, and school board at Trinity Lutheran School. In addition to church involvement, Bill and Miriam’s shared interests were the Stanton County and state livestock feeders’ association and auxiliary, ballroom dancing, and family.

Bill was a cattle feeder, and ran registered and commercial cowherds on the farm, and commercial cows in South Dakota and Montana. 

He cherished his years exhibiting home-raised cattle entries at the National Western Stock Show (Denver), American Royal (Kansas City) and the North American International Livestock Exposition (Louisville, Ky.), as well as the Nebraska State Fair and Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic. He was blessed with an outstanding crew whom he credited with attaining national honors. Cattle associates and customers throughout the US and Canada became dear friends. His mitten-shaped cattle brand uniquely identified his cattle which has remained in the family for 39 years.

When life slowed down, Bill enjoyed playing cards with friends at the Eagles Club in Norfolk. At age 80-plus, he qualified and participated in a Las Vegas poker tournament.  

Bill is survived by his loving wife, Miriam, of 67 years; daughters, Marci (Jim McKenzie) Nelson and Maelyn (Jeff) Aschoff; grandson, Miles (Kayla) Nelson and their children, Hunter and Remi; granddaughter, Grace (Case) Jasnoch and their children, Bladen and Waylon; step-grandchildren, Ashley (Jesse), Emilee, Cassandra (Ryan), and Jacob (Jasmine); step-great-grandchildren, Alexis, Caleb, Cooper, Willow, Hazel, Brynn and Bronx; sister, Yvonne Stone; and sister-in-law, Pat Willers.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Dwayne Willers; grandparents, William and Anna (Heinemann) Willers and Frank and Friedericke (Wurster) Dangberg; parents-in-law, Edwin and Mary Kollath; brother-in-law, Richard Stone; and baptismal sponsors Otto and Irene Kant.

Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.homeforfuneralsinc.com.

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