Bruce J. Bilgreen

Bruce was born on April 29, 1935, in Iron Mountain, son of the late Walter and Caroline (Schaefer) Bilgreen. He was raised in Kingsford and was a 1953 graduate of Kingsford High School.

Bruce enlisted into the United States Army and served in Korea from 1958 until he was honorably discharged in 1960. He married Kathleen Smith on June 4, 1966, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. They raised their family in Kingsford while Bruce worked for the United States Postal Service. He retired after more than 30 years with the Postal Service.

Bruce was an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting and fishing. He also enjoyed camping, picking blueberries and hunting for copper in the Keweenaw. He was a loyal Kingsford Flivver sports fan and never missed a Flivver football game.

Bruce is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Kathleen; children, Julie (Fran) Wlodarczyk of Cedarburg, Wis., Bruce (Kathryn) Bilgreen of Iron Mountain and Brian (Trina) Bilgreen of Kingsford; sisters, Dorothy (Glenn) Johnson of Homestead, Wis., Yvonne (Paul) Voight of Port St. Lucie, Fla. and Beverly Prichard of Cookeville, Tenn.; six grandchildren, Desirae (Jeremy Beaudoin), Bruce, Samuel, Emma, Hunter and Gracyn; also by many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Beatrice Gilbert and Jean Pirlot; and a brother, Walter Bilgreen.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 11 a.m. at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Kingsford. Rev. Matthew Ruesch will officiate.

The funeral service will be live streamed at facebook.com/ourredeemerkingsford.

Burial will be in the Quinnesec Cemetery.

Condolences to the family of Bruce Bilgreen may be expressed online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com.

The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home with the arrangements.