William J. Massingham

William 'Will' J. Massingham, age 64, of Litchfield, MN, died on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at his home in Litchfield, MN after a courageous battle with cancer. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, August 13, 2011 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield with Pastor Christian Muellerleile officiating. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 8:00 PM on Friday at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home and will continue one hour prior to the service at church on Saturday. Interment will be in the Lake Ripley Cemetery. Military honors will be provided by the Litchfield Military Honor Guard. Memorials may be given to the Litchfield Area Hospice or the Fallen Fire Fighters of Minnesota. William ""Will"" Joseph Massingham, the son of Wilbur and Gladys (Lelo) Massingham, was born in Chicago, IL on November 23, 1946. He grew up in Iowa and Illinois. Will served in the Marine Corps and moved to Minnesota after meeting Ruth at the hospital in Litchfield. He was united in marriage to Ruth Haag at the St. James Lutheran Church in Howard Lake on May 1, 1971. He worked at Litchfield Lumber, Lakeview Lumber, Anderson Woodcraft, Emmanuel Nursing Home and Innovex. During his working years, he also owned and operated Will's Window and Screen Repair for over 20 years. He was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield and the American Legion for 37 years. He served on the Litchfield Fire Department for 20 years and the Meeker County Ambulance Service for 23 years. He enjoyed listening to country music, deer hunting, war strategy games and spending time with his grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Ruth of Litchfield, MN, children, Mike (and Renee) Massingham of Litchfield, Melanie (and Matt) Chrast of Sartell, MN and Brian (and Renee) Massingham of Dassel; grandchildren, Paige, Dylan, Hayley, Joshua, Seth, Carter, Elizabeth, Tyler and Cody; siblings, Tom (and Lynda) Massingham of Prineville, OR, Jo (and Butch) Mullis of Prineville, OR, Ed (and Sandi) Massingham of Wichita, KS and Deb (and Robert Frerichs) Massingham of Greeley, CO; mother-in-law Eliza Haag of Howard Lake, MN; sisters-in-law, Bea (and Melvin) Buttenhoff of Howard Lake, MN, Evelyn (and Dale) Schmieg of Howard Lake and Karen (and Merlyn) Schmieg of Howard Lake and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Wilbur and Gladys; brother Frank; and father-in-law Ervin Haag.Previous Events Visitation Friday, August 12, 2011 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home 316 Sibley Avenue South Litchfield, MN 55355 Visitation Saturday, August 13, 2011 10:30 AM Zion Lutheran Church 504 North Gilman Avenue Litchfield, MN 55355