William N. Watkins, Jr., age 82, of St. Paul, passed away on October 14, 2023.
Bill grew up working on a farm in a small town, where he eventually met & married his teenage love, Carol. Of the 67 years shared together, almost 65 were spent married. In their younger years, they were known to be found at the dance hall tearing it up, every weekend. Later in life, the casino took over the dance floor with a few lucrative wins over the years.
Bill loved to fish and spend time at the lake with family – instilling that “Minnesota Lake Life” within them all. Rain or shine, you could find him either at the dock or on the boat with a fishing pole, a bag of sunflower seeds, and Carol.
Bill was not one to sit around with idle hands. He was a hard worker and that never stopped. Even after retirement you could find him working in the garage, shoveling snow at 4 AM because he couldn’t wait for the hired snow removal to arrive, or even carrying a dresser down two flights of stairs by himself…because that’s just the kind of man he was.
Bill loved his family fiercely and was a devoted husband, father, grandpa, and great grandpa. Although his passing has left a great void, his legacy of love and strength will continue on through his loved ones each and every day.
He is preceded in death by parents, William and Eleanor; sons, Perry and Paul; sister, Bonnie; and brother, Kenny.
Bill is survived by wife, Carol; daughters, Marie Kendall and Patty Watkins; 7 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; daughter-in-law, Jean Watkins; brother, Bob (Kay) Watkins; nieces, nephews and friends.
Funeral service was 11:00 AM Saturday, October 21, 2023 at Mueller-Bies Funeral Home-Roseville.
