Bill Stegner, 90, of Rhame, ND, passed away on Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at the Meridian Englewood Senior Living Center in Englewood, CO.

Funeral services for Bill will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at the Bowman Lutheran Church, Bowman ND. Pator Charles Swanson will officiate with burial to follow in the Bowman Cemetery.

William Arthur Stegner was born on April 14, 1923 in a sod house near Rhame to Walter E. Stegner and Anna Lidstrom Stegner. Bill attended school in Rhame and graduated from Rhame High School in 1941. Upon graduating, he attended college at North Dakota State Agricultural School (NDSU) from 1941 – 1948. His schooling was interrupted with two-and-one-half years' service in the US Army, from 1943 – 1945.
Bill and his brother Harold were anxious to become farmers, and took over management of their father's 3,500 acre sheep ranch in 1949. Their ranch and farming operation grew, and they eventually switched from sheep to cattle, thinking farming and cattle were a better combination.
On March 4, 1953, Bill married Phyllis Holecek. In his words, "he was so lucky to have waited in getting married. My marriage to Phyllis brought a brand new and exciting experience and dedication in my life". He never failed to credit and acknowledge Phyllis' excellent job as a mother and homemaker by calling her "the best partner and best cook in the whole area." Phyllis brought 3 children to their marriage; LaVon, Ronald and JoAnn Holecek. Soon they added two more, LaRee and Melinda.
Bill and Harold's livestock business initially consisted of buying and fattening calves for slaughter. Their operation eventually grew into a cow-calf business. In addition, between 1952 and 1959, the partnership owned and operated a farm equipment business in Bowman. Things got busier on the ranch as Bill was one of the early adopters of artificial insemination. Harold chose to retire from the business in 1962 with Bill purchasing Harold's interests. By then the ranch had grown to 7,800 acres. Under Bill's ownership the ranch continued to expand with a continued focus on artificial insemination together with an intensive wheat farming operation. His cattle were known for their exceptional weight gain and one of his steers (his brand SL) won the Champion Steer Award at the 1974 International Livestock Exposition in Chicago.
In 2002 Bill and Phyllis sold the ranch and retired to Bowman. They spent many happy years enjoying the community, church and their friends. In 2011 they moved to Colorado to be closer to family. We are so lucky to have shared those precious years with them.
Besides his farm and ranch operation, Bill was very active in his community. He served on the Rhame School Board for twenty years, giving each one of his children their diploma. He served as a director of Consolidated Telephone Coop for 33 years and was awarded the NTCA Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition he was involved in many other local, state and national organizations, too many to mention.
His voluntary activities allowed Bill and Phyllis to travel widely. He never went anywhere that he did not make a friend with an invitation to visit him at his ranch. We will miss his infectious knee-slapping laugh, many wonderful jokes and his sound advice. Please join us in celebration of his life and share some stories about Bill.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Anna and Walter Stegner, wife Phyllis Stegner, sister Carol Thornberg, brother Harold Stegner, son-in –law Fredrik Amlee, daughter-in-law Marguerite Holecek, and son-in-law Dan Reeter. Surviving Bill is brother-in-law Herbert Thornberg, sister-in-law Marjorie Stegner, children LaVon Amlee of Seabrook, TX, Ronald Holecek of Laguna Beach, CA, JoAnn Reeter of Castle Rock, CO, LaRee (Jake) Udris of Highlands Ranch, CO, Melinda Stegner of Highlands Ranch, CO, grandchildren Erik (Aleda Jonquil) Amlee, Dan (Kari Nynas) Reeter, Aleks Udris, Whitney ( Drew Haubert) Reeter, Ingrid (Evan Calvert) Udris and Karl Udris, great-grandchildren Taylor Nynas, and Scarlett Amlee. Memorial donations may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association at alz.org/donate.