William "Bacon Bill" Bergell

William “Bill” Bergell, age 55, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, July 7, 2016 at his home in Des Moines.

Bill, or Bacon Bill as he was known to his friends, was born March 8, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois to Robert and Irene Bergell. He moved to Des Moines as a boy. His family later moved to Pittsburg, PA where he spent his formative years, before moving back to Des Moines. Bill was employed as an electrician for most of his life, working for Qwest as a technician, but he was an outdoorsman at heart. He lived and breathed nature and loved spending time fishing and hunting. He loved smoking any type of meat and was known for his bacon, where he got is nick-name, “Bacon Bill.” He was a member of Knights of Columbus and Wild Turkey Foundation. William was a selfless person with a passion for helping people. He spent time assisting handicapped hunters and will be remembered as an animal lover and an avid outdoorsman.

He is survived by his wife, Donna; step-daughters, Amy Kelce and Sara (Gary) Jelinek; grandchildren, Xavier, Chase, and Kayden; parents, Robert and Irene Bergell; siblings, Tish Simons, Mary (Jack) Webb, and Daniel (Mary Sue) Bergell; mother-in-law, Marlou Tingle; as well as nieces, nephews, other extended family and friends.

William was preceded in death by his brother, Edward Giedraitis; brother-in-law, Andy Simons; and father-in-law, John Tingle.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, July 11, 2016 at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines. Funeral mass will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 12, 2016, at St. Theresa Catholic Church, 1230 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Animal Rescue League or any organization supporting Handicap Hunters.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

Print