Carlson, Wilhelm Axel (1910-1989)

CARLSON, KARLSSON, JOHNSON, HOLSTRUM

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:02

Stratford Courier, Stratford, Iowa, December 1989

Wilhelm (Bill) Carlson, 79, Stratford, died Saturday, Dec. 23, 1989, at the Boone County Hospital, Boone. Services were held Wednesday, Dec. 27 at the South Marion United Methodist Church, Stratford, with the Rev. Willis E. Grant, pastor, officiating. Burial was at South Marion Cemetery. Stark-Welin Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Pallbearers were William LaFollette, Leland Carlson, Roger Shaw, John Knuth, Daryl Engstrom and Eugene Westrum. The organist was Margaret Erickson and vocalist Ardelle Phipps sang "He Touched Me," and "Children of Our Heavenly Father."

He is survived by his wife, Audrey; son and daughter-in-law, Trevor and Susanne; grandchildren, Sara and Adam Carlson, all of Stratford.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.

Wilhelm (Bill) Axel Carlson was born Jan. 21, 1910, at Ödeshög (Edisig) Sweden. His parents were Carl and Ida Karlsson. Bill and his two brothers, Oskar and David, received their formal education in Sweden. With the Karlsson family living near a large lake and forest, fishing, lumber and wood trades were common.

At the age of 18 years, Bill came to America and lived with his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Gust Johnson near Beaver, Iowa, until moving to the Stratford area where he farmed.

In 1939 he married Audrey Holstrum and continued to farm until 14 years ago when they retired and moved into Stratford.

Bill was known to be an ambitious, hard working person with three hobbies that he thoroughly enjoyed - fishing, motorcycling and wood working.

He was a member of the Swedish Club of Northwest Iowa and a member of the South Marion United Methodist Church, where he found countless ways to be helpful and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.