William "Bill" L. Lane, 95, longtime resident of the Blackberry area, died December 10, 2010, at Evergreen Terrace in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Bill was born May 31, 1915, in Popular Bluff, Missouri, to Franklin and Bertie Risley Lane. He later moved to Illinois, where he met and married Edith Sandstrom on June 26, 1937. They lived at Hinsdale, Illinois, and both worked at the Hinsdale Sanitarium and Hospital. On April 3, 1944, Bill went into the Army and was sent to the European Theater, where he served in the Rhineland campaign as a Medic with the 226th General Hospital in support of the 101st Airborne and the 82nd Airborne. For his efforts, he received a Bronze Star, the combat Medical Badge, and the WWII Victory Medal. Upon being discharged on November 13, 1945, he came to Grand Rapids to rejoin Edith on the Sandstrom family farm. Bill established a dairy operation and drove school bus for District 318 for more than 20 years. After his three children graduated from college, Bill sold the cows and went back to school for a bachelor's degree in social work from Bemidji State University. He was then employed by the Itasca County Department of Social Services for ten years, retiring in 1985 at the age of 70. After retirement he continued with volunteer driving and financial counseling for the county. A favorite hobby was restoring antique tractors. Bill was actively involved in the local community with Blackberry 4-H, the Blackberry Youth Council, and the Itasca County Farm Bureau Association. He was also a member of the Blackberry Seventh-day Adventist Church and the North Central Minnesota Farm and Antique Association. He was a lifetime member of the VFW, American Legion, and DAV. He was preceded in death by his parents, Franklin and Bertie Risley Lane, brothers Elmer Lane, Frank Lane, sisters Mabel Watson, Margie Baker, and Alpha Chapman, and daughter-in-law Kathryn Houchins Lane. He is survived by his wife, Edith, of 73 years, brother Alfred Lane of Bismarck, ND, and children Philip (Janet) Lane of Burnsville, MN; Douglas (Sula) Lane of Grand Rapids; and Karen (LeRoy Panasuk) of Grand Rapids. He also has eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation is 4 to 6 Monday Dec. 13 in the Libbey Funeral Home and from 12:00 until the 1:00 Funeral Service on Tuesday Dec. 14 in the Libbey Funeral Home. Libbey Funeral Home, Grand Rapids. "Serving the Family for Generations" 218-326-4000.