William A. Legler Jr., age 86, a loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 11, 2016, at Agrace HospiceCare Inc. in Fitchburg, with his family by his side. He was born on December 26, 1929, in his grandmother's house in Belleville to his parents, William and Anna (Schmid) Legler.

Bill graduated from Belleville High School in 1948. He worked on the family farm until entering the United States Marine Corps in September of 1951. He served during the Korean War as a radio/radar technician at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. On July 5, 1952, he was united in marriage to Rosalyn Anderegg at the Brooklyn Lutheran Church. In 1953, following his Marine Corps service, Bill and Rose moved back to Brooklyn where he hauled milk and then operated a Blatz and People's beer distributorship. Later he sold lighting equipment. He was a longtime member of the First United Church of Christ in Belleville. Enjoying the outdoors was a large part of his life, he was able share the activities of boating, hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling with his children. He also enjoyed playing cards and shaking dice. Bill sat in as a drummer for the local Brooklyn band the Dreamlanders. He was a member of Brooklyn-Oregon American Legion Post #160 and had served as Sergeant at Arms for over fifty years.

Bill is survived by his wife, Rose Legler; children, Dawn Bryant, Becky Legler, Sheree Solberg, Art (Jody) Legler and Roy Legler; grandchildren, Angela (Brentt) Zweifel, Craig (Molly Jacoby) Bryant, Alishia (James Johnson) Legler, Nichole (Paul Putney) Legler, Ashley (Eric) Ellis and Emilee Solberg; great-grandchildren, William, Flynn, Adeline, Hailey and Abbigail. He is further survived by his sister, Arlene Rasmussen; brother-in-law, Bernard (Trixie) Anderegg; sister-in-law, Jeanette Legler; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Ivan; sister and brother-in-law, Elaine and Ole Lien; brother-in-law, Glenn Rasmussen; and son-in-law, Guy Solberg.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, April 16, 2016, at the First United Church of Christ, 130 E. Church St., Belleville, WI, with the Rev. Heide Walker Hackman officiating. Burial with military honors was in the Belleville Cemetery.

Relatives and friends called from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., on Friday, April 15, 2016, at the Becker-Beal Funeral Home, 109 Greenway Cross, Belleville, WI.

A memorial fund has been established.

An online memorial with guestbook is available at http://www.bealfuneralhomes.com.