Bill Hamer, age 70, of Brookings, died Monday, March 2, 2009, at Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Friday, March 6, 2009, at the United Methodist Church in Lake Benton, Minnesota, with interment in Memorial Hill Cemetery at Lake Benton. Visitations will be from 4-7 P.M. Thursday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings.

Wilhelm Hinrich Bill Hamer was born March 20, 1938, near Lake Benton, Minnesota, to Wilhm and Mary (Kruger) Hamer. He attended grade school at District No. 17 and Morris High School. He served in the U.S. Army from 1955 until 1958. Following his discharge from the Army he worked on the family farm near Lake Benton. He was married to Marian Carter, and they later divorced. He moved to Brookings and worked for Rainbow Play Systems. On July 13, 2001, he married Linda Lee (Tveito) Klingbile in Brookings.

Bill was a member of the National Farmers Organization and the National Rifle Association. He enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, gardening, woodworking, and spending time with his grandsons and other family.

Survivors include his wife, Linda, of Brookings; two step-sons, Brian and Daniel Klingbile, of Brookings; two grandsons, Braden Begalka and Brady Klingbile; three brothers: August (Florence Dorn) Hamer of Hendricks, Minnesota, Earl (Shirley) Hamer of Brookings, and Ernest (Janice) Hamer of White, South Dakota; father-in-law, Ervin Tveito, of New Castle, California; step-father-in-law, Norman Hanson, of Brookings; a sister-in-law: Donna Thurow, of Robertsdale, Alabama; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Marvin and Gayle Tveito of Volga, Doug and Joan Tveito of Volga, and Cliff and Cheryl Strom of Aurora, South Dakota; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Gladys Andersen; two brothers, Herbert and Carl; mother-in-law, Sue Hanson; brother-in-law, Greg Tveito; and a sister-in-law, JoAnn Hamer.