William "Bill" Holmes

Memorial service will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at the Community United Church of Christ in Biwabik with Pastor John Szarke officiating.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.  Military honors will be accorded by the Aurora-Hoyt Lakes Color Guard in Aurora.  Inurnment will be in the Biwabik Township Cemetery.  Arrangements are by the Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home of Gilbert.

William “Bill” Morton Holmes, 81, of rural Gilbert passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on Thursday, February 8, 2024 at his home.

He was born on June 3, 1942 to Earl and Louise (Sedgeman) Holmes in Duluth.  He grew up in Hutter having attended school in McKinley and Gilbert.  Bill enlisted into the US Air Force where he was stationed in Texas and Washington state.   He was employed as an Iron Worker until he went to work for US Steel.  He retired from US Steel after thirty-one years of service as a Supervisor in the Car Shop.  Bill was united in marriage to Lucia Karki on June 18, 1994 in Lakeland.  He was a member of the Community United Church of Christ where he was a pasty baker and served on the church council and was a member of the American Legion in Aurora.  Bill enjoyed being outdoors hunting and fishing.  He took the greatest pleasure in planning and harvesting his garden and running a greenhouse in his earlier years.

Bill and his family were proud of the fact that he had been sober for thirty-three years in AA.

Survivors include his wife of 29 years: Lucia; three children: Danita Saari of Mt. Iron, Diana (Danny) Takanen of Gilbert and Dan Holmes of Virginia; four stepchildren: Komra Salo, Laura Wirkkala, David Karki, and Peggy Thibault; grandchildren: Kylie and Chloie Saari, Taylor (Nate) Ptacek, Noah Mensink, Jordan Takanen, and Ian and Gavyn Holmes; two siblings: Robert (Pat) Holmes of Aurora and Chris (Kevin) Korpi of Otsego; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Betty Jo Zumbrunnen; and his parents.