Rev. William F. Moeller, Sr.

Rev. William F. Moeller, Sr., age 89, of Leaf Valley, died on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at his home.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, January 13, 2024, at Zion Lutheran Church in Alexandria with Rev. Scott Brown and Rev. Terry Finnern presiding. Music is provided by Kristi Wussow. Interment will take place at Ebenezer Lutheran Cemetery, Leaf Valley.

Visitation is from 4-7 p.m., with a prayer service beginning at 6:30 p.m., Friday, January 12, 2024, at Lind Family Funeral Home in Alexandria and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.

William Frederick was born at home on the farm on September 30, 1934, to Sigmund and Alvina (Springel) Moeller near Chester, Illinois. He was baptized at St. John Lutheran Church in Chester. He started school in a one-room country school through the 6^th grade and completed his seventh and eighth grades at the St. John Lutheran Church, where he was also confirmed in the Spring of 1949.

William continued his education at public school in Chester. He was encouraged to study ministry at St. Paul’s High School and Jr. College in Concordia, Missouri, graduating in 1955. William studied the next 3 years at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He then served as Vicar at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa, before returning to St. Louis for his final year at the Seminary. He graduated on June 1, 1960, and was called to serve as pastor of Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Leaf Valley.

William was united in marriage to Mary Helen Wuenscher on June 4, 1960, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lockwood, Missouri. Together they were blessed with three sons: William Jr., Gregory, and Jon. In November 1964, with the rejoining into dual parishes of Ebenezer Lutheran Church and St. James Lutheran Church in South Effington Township, William took on the pastoral role for both.

William accepted a call from Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Mound in April 1967, where he faithfully served until his retirement in January 1997. During retirement, he served as a Vacancy Pastor for one year and 14 years overall as Visitation Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Alexandria. He also served as Vacancy Pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Alexandria for three years. His final years in ministry were spent filling in for local pastors as needed.

Throughout his life, William cherished traveling with his wife Mary Helen, with memorable trips to the Holy Land and Alaska. They traveled to many states and Civil War battlefields. He was dedicated to his profession and thoroughly enjoyed his work.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Donald Moeller; niece, Kris Trout; and grandson, Joshua Moeller.

William is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mary Helen; three sons, Rev. William F. Moeller, Jr. of Baudette, Gregory (Nancy) Moeller of Big Lake, and Jon Moeller of Parkers Prairie; five grandchildren, Corey Moeller, Abigail Moeller, Katherine Moeller, David Moeller, and Erin (Jacob) Krumwiede; seven great-grandchildren, Hailey, Carson, Noah, and Serena Moeller, Alexander, Evelyn, and Jasper Krumwiede; sister-in-law, Jeanette Moeller of Waterloo, Illinois; along with many cousins.

Serving as pallbearers are Rev. William Moeller, Jr., Gregory Moeller, Jon Moeller, Corey Moeller, Rodney Wussow, and Craig Wussow.