William George Bellingham

William George Bellingham, age 94, died February 8, 2022, at the Green Lea Senior Living facility in Mabel, Minn.

Funeral services and burial will be held later this spring. Arrangements are with Lindstrom Funeral Home in Harmony, Minn. Memorials may be directed to the Bristol Center Cemetery or Moments Hospice.

Bill Bellingham was born on May 11, 1927, to George and Henrietta (Dreier) Bellingham on the family farm in Bristol Township in rural Preston, Minn. His childhood was spent on the farm with his parents and his brother, J. Robert Bellingham.

Bill attended Bristol Center School and as a young man was an excellent baseball player on the local Harmony Town Team. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1945, proudly serving his country until he was honorably discharged in 1947.

On June 3, 1950, Bill married Carmen Elton at the Greenfield Lutheran Church in Harmony. They were blessed with four children: Nancy, Margaret, John, and Donald. The couple lived on the family farm their entire lives, raising their children in the same house Bill had been born in and serving as dedicated stewards of the Bellingham land. Bill was always proud of the crops and livestock he raised, and until just a few years ago could still be found on a John Deere tractor or combine at harvest time. For decades the Bellingham farm always had a collie dog, and all the collies Bill had over the years were named Scottie. He loved what wonderful and smart companions collies made.

An avid sports fan, Bill was always up for taking in a good game of baseball, football, or basketball. The Minnesota Twins and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers were his favorite teams, but he loved to watch and talk about any sports team — and could usually recite an impressive amount of information about each team’s stats and players. He especially enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren compete in the sports they loved.

Community service was also important to Bill. He served on the Harmony Area School Board for seven years and as chairman of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church for six years, and often quietly supported his community and neighbors in ways both big and small. He lived a life of integrity, and he will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

Bill is survived by his children Nancy (Brian) Houdek of Ankeny, Iowa, John (Debbie) Bellingham of Faribault, Minn., and Don Bellingham of Preston, Minn.; eight grandchildren: Michelle (Jeremy) Stubbe of Ankeny, Iowa, Eric Houdek of Grimes, Iowa, Nathan Ayers of Marengo, Ill., Brandon (Giana) Ayers of Aurora, Ill., Kari (Cody) VanDerVeen of Faribault, Minn., Bill (Megan) Bellingham of Rochester, Minn., Sarah (Eric) Laitinen of Warwick, R. I., and Robert Bellingham of Harmony, Minn.; 10 great-grandchildren: Brooke and Macy Stubbe, Lincoln and Baby (due in April) Ayers, Brenna and Owen VanDerVeen, Max and Henry Bellingham, and Logan and Lainey Laitinen; and numerous family and friends.

He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Carmen, daughter Margaret Ayers, son-in-law Jim Ayers, his parents, in-laws Marvin and Tressie (Alfson) Elton, and brother Robert Bellingham.

A special thank you to Moments Hospice for their special care.