TORRINGTON – Memorial services for William “Bill” Eugene Schlager Sr., 94, will be held 1 p.m. Friday, January 12, 2024, at the Colyer Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Rick Carroll officiating.
Burial with military honors will follow in the Valley View Cemetery. Bill passed away peacefully December 16, 2023, at Torrington Community Hospital and cremation has taken place. Arrangements are under the direction of the Colyer Funeral Home and condolences may be sent to www.colyerfuneralhome.com.
Bill was born October 10, 1929, in Mitchell, Nebraska, the 11th son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Deines) Schlager. He grew up in the Mitchell and Hawk Springs, Wy areas where his family farmed. He received his education in Hawk Springs and Torrington. In 1948, Bill joined the US Navy and was stationed in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor until 1950. He returned to the States and served on the USS Hickok, where he went through the Panama Canal returning to Newport, Rhode lsland, where he was honorably discharged as Seaman 1st Class in 1951.
He returned to Torrington where he was employed by the Wig Wam Bakery as a delivery man. Bill worked 18 campaigns for Holy Sugar in Torrington. ln 1953 he married Marlene (Amberg) in Elko, Nevada. The couple made their home in Riverside, California where Bill worked for Rohr Aircraft and Food Machinery.
ln 1957, Bill accepted a position for farming at St. Joseph’s Orphanage, under the supervision of Father Leo Morgan. Bill had several of the boys at the children’s home help with chores, milk 21 cows, feed the farm animals, irrigation and harvesting the crops that they grew. They also had to help tend to the large garden they grew, which helped feed the children at the home. Bill and Marlene were 4-H leaders all the years that they lived at the Orphanage. ln 1968, Bill resigned his position at the home and he and his family returned to California, where he worked for the Certain-Tee Corporation. In 1970, the family moved back to Torrington, where Bill was employed by the Goshen lrrigation District for 24 years, retiring in 1994.
Bill loved spending time with his family. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, traveling and the outdoors. He especially loved camping at Laramie Peak with his wife and children.
Bill is survived by his daughters Lynda (Ken) Ferrari of Cheyenne, Beth (Jim) DeMott, Cherie (Bart) Trautwein, of Torrington, and Joanna (Rob) Eirich of Mitchell; his sons, Jeff (Veronica), William (Bill) Jr., Lonny (Martha) of Torrington; 18 Grandchildren; 33 Great Grandchildren; sister Wilma Ward and his loyal companion Sissy, his beloved poodle. He was preceded in death by his wife; both parents; brothers, Walter, Victor, Elmer, Albert, Alex, Ted, Ruben, Robert, Harry, Lawrence; sisters, Pauline, Frieda, Hilda, Rose, Clara and one infant Granddaughter, Marisah Knowles.
