William "Bill" Bohrer

William “Bill” E. Bohrer, 75, lost his battle to cancer in his home in Bismarck on Wednesday, November 29, 2017. The memorial service will be held on Monday, December 4 at 10:30 am at Mandan United Methodist Church, 610 12th St NW, Mandan, with Rev. Bruce Adams officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Sunday, December 3, at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 7:00 pm.  Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church the following morning. William was born on May 2, 1942, in Hazen, ND, to Ervin “Pencil” and Selma (Sailer) Bohrer. He was raised in Stanton, ND, where he graduated from the high school in 1960. During his childhood, he spent his time fishing on the Knife and Missouri rivers. In his youth, Bill assisted at his grandparents’ grocery store, in addition to helping his father farm potatoes and run the local hardware store, all in Stanton. After graduation he went to Pierre, SD, to work on the construction of the Oahe Dam, thus beginning a lengthy career in the construction industry. He was a member of the Operating Engineers, Local 49, from 1962 until his retirement in 2005. He travelled throughout the region working on notable projects including the power and gas plants, the refineries, several dams, the ICBM Minutemen sites, and countless grain elevators. On December 18, 1976, he married Linda Haas at the Salem United Methodist Church in Hazen, ND. The couple made their home in Pick City where they raised their daughter, Miranda. In 1989, they relocated to Bismarck where Bill carried on his work in the construction industry. Following the move, the family continued to spend a significant amount of time in Mercer county recreating and enjoying time with family. Throughout his life Bill enjoyed fishing on Lake Sakakawea and in the surrounding rivers, sharing this activity with his wife and his grandson, Ezra. He also took joy in hunting with his lifelong friends in the river bottoms near Stanton. Bill was known for his dedication to the Chicago Cubs and was finally able to celebrate in their World Series win in 2016. During his lunch breaks and holidays with his family, he was most often found on the winning side of a pinochle game. Bill is survived by his wife, Linda of Bismarck; his daughters, Miranda (Paul) Godfread of Saint Paul, MN, and Kris (Steve) Hartl of Sundance, WY; his grandchildren, Ezra and Solveig Godfread and Ryan Thernes; his sister, Karen (James) Dubois of Hazen; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Ervin and Selma; and recently his grandson, Travis Noakes. The family is requesting memorial contributions be directed to: Bismarck Cancer Center, CHI St. Alexius Hospice, or Volunteers for the Elderly.