William "Bill" Harmsen, 86, Valley City, ND passed away at Sanford on Broadway in Fargo, ND on September 19, 2021.  A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, September 25 at 10:30 AM at St. Catherine Catholic Church, Valley City.  Visitation will be at the church on Friday from 5:00 until 7:00 PM.  The Rosary will be prayed beginning at 7:00 and a prayer service will follow.  Bill will be laid to rest in the St. Catherine Cemetery, Valley City.  Masks are not required, but are recommended.

William Baker Harmsen was born March 13, 1935 at LaMoure, ND to Arnold and Ethel (Saufley) Harmsen.  Bill was the oldest of four children.  He has two brothers, Arnold and Kenneth and one sister, Audrey, deceased.

His parents farmed.  When Bill was eight, his father died and the rest of the family moved into the town of LaMoure.  Even though he was young at the time, he had many happy memories of his life on the farm.  Bill, Arnie, and Ken were not only brothers but the best of friends.  The three boys spent their summers swimming and fishing in the James River near their home.  Bill was excited to buy his first car, a '52 Chevy.  He liked to take his friends for rides and always included his brothers.

As a boy, Bill delivered the LaMoure Chronicle and in his teens worked as a typesetter for the Chronicle, a job he enjoyed.  When he was 18, he began working at Farmers Union in LaMoure.

Bill was united in marriage to Lila Marie Klinkhammer on September 30, 1961.  They have one child, a son, William Scott.  After marrying, he continued serving farmers in Medina and later in Valley City.  He enjoyed visiting with the customers sharing the ups and downs of farming.  Bill was genuinely interested in the people he met and knew everyone by name.

In later years, Bill worked at Cavendish Farms in Jamestown.  He enjoyed the people with whom he worked and made many friends there.

When Scott joined Boy Scouts, Bill became Assistant Scoutmaster.  He accompanied the troop on several summer trips across the country which included the National Scout Jamboree in Pennsylvania.

Bill was a member of the Valley City Troubadours for many years.  He enjoyed participating in the Medora Summer Musical and performing in Grand Forks when President Reagan visited.  He was active in RCIA and Bible Study at St. Catherines.

Bill and Lila have long been members of Right to Life.  Bill had a special place in his heart for the unborn and prayed for their well-being and for their mothers and fathers.  He believed that every child is a sign of God's love and each is created in His image.  It was his hope that every child would be welcomed and loved.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Audrey.  He is survived by Lila, his wife of nearly 60 years; son, William Scott (Peggy); brothers, Arnie (Joyce) and Ken (Kay); sister-in-law, Mary McClure; nephews, Brian and Jeff (Amy) Harmsen; nieces, Linda (Tim) Feist and Nancy McClure; grandchildren, Sonja (Tony) Sandoval and Jamie (Chris) Hilker; and great grandchildren, Elise and Ethan Hilker.

Bill was a kind and gentle man, grateful for the many blessings God has bestowed upon him and for the many kindnesses of family, friends and neighbors.

The Lerud Mathias Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.  An online guestbook is available at www.lerudschuldt.com