William (Bill) Henry Wixon

William Henry (“Bill”) Wixon, born November 23, 1916 , on a farm near Garvin , MN , died Friday, November 27, 2009 , in the Prairie Home Hospice in Marshall , MN , surrounded by the love of his family and friends. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Marshall. Visitation Monday from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with a CCW Rosary at 4 pm and a Prayer Service at 7 pm at Rehkamp – Horvath Funeral Home in Marshall. Visitation continues from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Tues. at the funeral home. Interment follows at St. Eloi Catholic Cemetery in Ghent. Military Honors provided by U.S. American Legion Post 113 of Marshall. Bill is survived by his four sons: David W. (Sharman), Bernard J. (Sandra), Daniel M. (Hope), and William B. (Renee) Wixon, as well as by his grandchildren, Matthew, Andrew, David, and Sara, and his sister, Mrs. Rachel Kaczrowski, of Marshall, and many nieces and nephews, all of whom spoke of their “Uncle Bill” with love in their voices. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Senden Wixon, his parents, Miles and Florence Wixon, and sixteen siblings. After leaving the family farm as a teenager to work at various jobs during the Depression, Bill joined the U.S. Navy in 1939, serving until 1946. He saw action in both the Atlantic and Pacific aboard the battleship U.S.S. Idaho, before being assigned to shore duty in California , at which time he married Mary Deborah Senden, daughter of Joseph and Katherine (Bot) Senden, of Ghent , MN . After Bill’s discharge, the couple returned to Ghent, and eventually opened Wixon’s Market, which provided grocery and meatcutting services for a wide area surrounding the town – particularly after the every-other-Friday sessions in which Bill made bloodsausage, a treat for which customers would drive fifty miles or more. When they eventually retired from the store, Bill and Mary moved to Marshall , where they would spend the remainder of their lives. Bill loved to hunt and fish, and he and Mary taught their sons – and eventually their daughters-in-law – a variety of card games, which provided a focus for family get-togethers. He also loved music, traveling, reading, watching westerns, the Minnesota Twins, and spending time with family and friends. He developed a fondness for opera in his later years and loved listening to Pavarotti. A Hard worker all his life, Bill had a keen realization of the importance of education, and he took great pride that all four of his sons were able to obtain a higher level of education than he had been able to achieve. Bill was known for his story-telling and sense of humor, with the rare gift of being able to pull the legs of his audience in a way that left them smiling. He could always raise a laugh or spark a smile, and was much beloved by all who knew him. Bill’s was a full, rich life, and he will be missed by all.