William Walter Connors, Sr.

July 23, 1929 - May 24, 2020

William "Bill" Connors, Sr., 90, of Wabeno, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 24th, 2020 surrounded by his family at the Bay at Nu-Roc Health and Rehabilitation Center. He was born to parents William P. and Anne Connors on July 23rd, 1929 in Wabeno. Bill attended Wabeno High School and started his first sawmill when he was a late-teenager but was drafted and joined the United States Marine Corps. He married Shirley Anderson, the love of his life in 1952, who survives him. June 6th would have been their 68th wedding anniversary. Together, they moved to North Carolina where Bill completed his enlistment as a Corporal at Camp Lejeune during the Korean War. They returned to Wabeno where Bill immediately got back into the logging and the lumber business and later founded Conn-Wald Lumber in Freedom which he later sold to his son Bill, Jr. He was very proud of working for decades with friends and family building that business. After retirement, Bill and Shirley spent the winters in Arizona, Arkansas and Florida, where he enjoyed fishing. They returned to Wisconsin for the summer to tend to his oversized garden, berry bushes and fruit trees at the same family home that he grew up in and enjoyed fishing and hunting as long as he was able. Bill was known for his great storytelling- about nearly anything- especially about fishing, family and friends, his lumber mill days and his time in the Marine Corps. His stories will be missed. Bill is also survived by his daughter Linda Kortbein and son Bill Connors, Jr and his wife Theresa who reside in Wabeno as well as his brother-in-law Cyrus Anderson and sisters-in-law Nancy Lehner, Joan Connors and Mabel Connors He is also survived by his grandchildren, Shannon Kortbein, Ryan & Heidi Kortbein, John and Jackie Connors, Tim and Kayla Connors, Kelly and Kevin Van Camp; and great-grandchildren, Hannah, Brian, Tanner, Cody, Ellie, Ryker, Henry and Adeline. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, brothers, Fred, John and Richard Connors and sister, Joyce Peterson, granddaughter Kaitlin Goodrich and son-in-law, R.J. Kortbein. A private memorial service will be held at Forest Hill Cemetery, Wabeno with Pastor Lee Jennings officiating. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.weberhillfuneralhome.com