A Celebration of Life Visitation to honor the life and memory of William Updike Sr., age 71, of Lakefield will be held Sunday, September 15th from 3 to 6 PM at the LaCanne Family Celebration of Life Center in Jackson. Military Honors will follow the visitation and will be provided by American Legion Post #130, VFW Post #900 of Jackson, American Legion Post #4, VFW Post #4743 of Lakefield.

William Updike passed away peacefully at the Good Samaritan Society Sogge Memorial in Windom, MN on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at the age of 71.

William Jerome Updike Sr. was born on February 9, 1953, to the late William and Erma (Adams) Updike in Seattle, Washington. He attended school at Lakefield High School until the age of 17. William then enlisted in the Army on December 4, 1970. William was stationed in Japan, then deployed to Vietnam for 18 months. After deployment he was stationed in Hawaii until honorable discharge on December 2, 1973.

William met the love of his life Linda Lou Mau and they two were united in marriage on January 18, 1975, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lakefield. This union blessed them with three children, William, Melissa and Jeremy.

William was a jack-of -all trades during his lifetime. After being discharged from the army he worked at the Lakefield Elevator for a few years before working as a carpenter. Then William trucked for many companies including Monson and Sons, Hillandale with oldest son Bill Jr. for 8 years, Kruse LLC, and Keuhl Trucking. William then gave up trucking to work at AGCO in Jackson, where he retired from in 2018.

William loved spending time with his family and friends. He was a lifelong member of the VFW Post #4743. He spent many hours/days helping with maintenance and enjoying time with friends at the VFW. William also loved working on trucks and helping at Henning's Farm for many years. He was also a loyal Vikings and NASCAR fan.

William is survived by three children, William (Michele) Updike Jr., Melissa Ruden, and Jeremy (Kayla) Updike; nine grandchildren, Reed, Lizzy, Ava, Nolan, Rachael, Sara, Emma, Liam, and Addyson; and two great-grandchildren, Lydia and Luna.

William is preceded in death by his parents, William and Erma Updike, brother and sister-in-law, Roger (Glenda) Updike; and sister, Ann Adams.

Blessed be the memory of William Jerome Updike, Sr