Ted Will Information

Ted's history

Ted was born and raised in Hazelton, ND, where he attended rural grade school. He worked in the CCC's during 1940 and 1941 in Sidney, Montana, where he also completed Jr. High. Upon returning to Hazelton, he graduated from High School in 1942. In 1942, Ted also attended a Trade School in Mpls. MN, where he learned sheet metal and riveting work. Ted worked at the Ford Plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan during 1943 and 1944, building B-24 airplanes.

On Oct. 20, 1944, Ted joined the US Army and received his training as a rifleman at Fort Hood, Texas. On March 26, 1945, he went overseas to Manila in the Philippines, where he was assigned to the 5th Replacement Depot and later opened the 9th Replacement Depot, where he was a Master St. In 1946, he transferred to the 86th Blackhawk Division, where he was promoted to St. Major of the Battalion. he returned to the States in 1946 and was discharged in Dec. 1946.

Ted received the following medals: Army of Occupation (Japan), the Philippine Liberation Service Medal, the Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Rifleman's Badge and the Bronze Star.

Ted moved to Sterling, Il after his discharge, where he worked for US Steel. He married Dolores on Feb. 1, 1947, and they moved to Bismarck, ND in 1948, where Ted worked for Nash Finch as a salesman until 1954, when he transferred to Standard Oil as Territory Manager. Ted retired Aug. 1, 19--.

Since retiring, Ted has served as Post Commander of VFW in Bismarck, where he made "All-American Commander" in 1984-85. He was Pres. and Director of "All Veterans Memorial", which was built on State Capital Grounds.

Ted also was Manager of the VFW in Bismarck from 1987- 1991. He was also president of the ND Chapter # 106 of the CCC from 1984-1987 - 1989-1991; he is also a Life Member of both the VFW and the NACCCA.

Ted has enjoyed fishing, sight-seeing and spending time with his family.

Ted's Obituary

Theodore "Ted" Will, 83, Bismarck, died Sept. 17, 2007, at his home surrounded by family after a four-year courageous and inspiring battle with cancer, a battle he won in so many ways by living each day to its fullest. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, at Bismarck Funeral Home, with the Rev. JoAnne Moeller officiating. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, where a prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday. Visitation continues on Monday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Ted was born to Henry Sr. and Sophia (Grenz) Will on Oct. 15, 1923, and raised on the Will family farm in Hazelton. He attended grade school in the rural Hazelton area, and attended junior/senior high school in Sydney, Mont., while serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Ted graduated his senior year from Hazelton High School in 1942. After graduation, he went to Sheet Metal and Riveting School in Minneapolis. In 1943, Ted went to work building B-24's in Ypsilanti, Mich. In 1944, he joined the U.S. Army, training at Fort Hood, Texas. He was with the Fifth and Ninth Replacement Depot. In 1945, he transferred to the 86th Blackhawk Division and was promoted to sergeant major of the battalion. He received the Army of Occupation Medal (Japan), the Philippine Liberation Service Medal, the Victory Medal, a Good Conduct Medal, a Rifleman's Badge and a Bronze Star.

After his discharge from the service in December 1946, Ted worked for U.S. Steel in Sterling, Ill., where he married his high school sweetheart, Dolores "Dee" Fettig on Feb. 1, 1947. They moved to Bismarck, where Ted was a salesman for Nash Finch until 1954. In 1954, he began a career with Standard Oil as a territory manager, remaining in that position until his retirement in 1981. Since retirement, Ted had been Post Commander of the VFW in Bismarck and the All American Commander in 1984-85. He was president and director of the All Veterans Memorial, which was built on the State

Capitol grounds. From 1987 to 1991, Ted was manager of the VFW Club in Bismarck.
He was a lifetime member of the VFW and the National Civilian Conservation Corps Association and was a member of the Elks, Moose, American Legion, Eagles and the AMVETS. Ted had been president of the North Dakota Civilian Conservation Corps Chapter No. 106 for 17 of the past 23 years. For the past two years, Ted's mission, along with many other CCC member's, was the accomplishment of raising funds to place a CCC statue in North Dakota. On June 14, 2007, "The Worker" statue was placed and dedicated at the Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park south of Mandan.

Ted enjoyed barbequing chicken, cooking knoephle and homemade chicken noodle soup and canning spicy pickles for his children and grandchildren. Ted and Dee rarely missed one of the many holiday and birthday celebrations with their growing family. Ted was an avid fan of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Ted and Dee celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Feb. 1, 2007.

Ted will be forever loved and remembered by his surviving family, his wife, Dolores, Bismarck; one
son, Randy (Sandi) Will, Bismarck; three daughters, Sharol (Neil) Larson, Jamestown, Patricia (Bob) Townsend, Sioux City, Iowa, and Linda Dutenhafer, Jamestown; 10 grandchildren, Jason Larson, Jill (Brent) Engbrecht, Janae (Todd) Juhlin, Shane (Cindy) Townsend, Tony (Jaime) Townsend, Tammy Townsend, Shiloh (Scott) Walch and Shayna, Shantel and Seth Dutenhafer; his five and a half great-grandchildren, Gabriel, Sophia, Molly and baby girl Walch due on great-grandpa Ted's 84th birthday, Tatum Aabrekke and Hayden Townsend; his sister, Alma Waranke; and his brothers, Henry, Edwin, Johnny and Herb Will.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry Sr. and Sophia; and three brothers, Oscar, Gottfried and Herman Will.In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be given to St. Alexius Hospice, 1120 E. Main Ave., Bismarck, N.D. 58501.

Dolores Obituary

Dolores “Dee” Will, 84, Jamestown, ND, formerly of Bismarck, ND, died on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at her daughter, Linda’s, home in Jamestown from complications of end stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Dee was born to Joseph Sr. and Mary (Keller) Fettig on August 12, 1924 in Linton, ND, where she attended grade school and graduated from Linton High School in 1943. After graduation, while her fiance “Ted” was serving in WWII, Dee lived with his parents in Hazelton and taught school there. After Ted’s discharge from the Army in 1946, Ted and Dee moved to Sterling, IL for work, and there the high school sweethearts were married on February 1, 1947. They returned to North Dakota in 1947 and settled in Bismarck in 1962, where Dee was housewife/homemaker raising her 4 children.

Ted and Dee enjoyed spending time with their growing family and rarely missed one of the many holiday and birthday celebrations with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Dee had a passion for picture taking and has fortunately left her family with pictures and albums to be cherished by many. Dee’s love of recording family memories on film has been passed on to children and grandchildren.

Ted and Dee celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on February 1, 2007. Ted died in September of 2007. Since October of 2007, Dee has lived with daughter, Linda in Jamestown, though they made weekly trips to spend time at Dee’s house in Bismarck.

Dee will be forever loved and remembered by her surviving family: her son, Randy (Sandi) Will of Bismarck; daughters: Sharol (Neil) Larson of Jamestown; Patricia (Bob) Townsend of Sioux City, IA and Linda Dutenhafer of Jamestown; 10 grandchildren: Jason Larson, Jill (Brent) Engbrecht, Janae (Todd) Juhlin, Shane (Cindy) Townsend, Tony (Jaime) Townsend, Tammy Townsend, Shiloh (Scott) Walch, Shayna, Shantel and Seth Dutenhafer and 7 great-grandchildren: Gabriel, Sophia, Molly and Emerson Walch; Tatum Aabrekke; Hayden and Emerson Townsend. She is also survived by her sisters (twins): Florence Cutler and Patricia Schwartz and brothers: Joe Jr. and Herman Fettig.

Dee was preceded in death by her husband, Ted; parents, Joe Sr. and Mary Fettig; brothers: Leo, Willy and Raymond Fettig and sister, Lillian (Fettig) Reich.

A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, April 6, 2009 at St. James Basilica in Jamestown with Father McGinnis officiating. A rosary service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, April 5, 2009 at Lisko Funeral Chapel, Jamestown. Visitation will be from noon to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, April 5th at Lisko Funeral Chapel and 1 hour prior to services at the church on Monday. Burial will be in the spring at the North Dakota Veteran’s Cemetery in Mandan. ND.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be given to the Jamestown Hospital Hospice, 419 5th St NE, Jamestown, ND 58401 or St. James Basilica, 622 1st Ave S, Jamestown, ND 58401.