William R. “Bill” Aslakson, 73, of New Rockford, ND passed away at his home on Friday, April 6, 2018.

     Bill was born in Jamestown, ND on November 17, 1944, the son of Olav and Isabelle (Sinclair) Aslakson. The family moved to New Rockford in 1945, and Bill continued to reside in the family home off and on throughout his life. Bill started his education at the “West Side School” and continued on through at NRHS, graduating in 1962. After graduation he attended UND and NDSCS for a short time before stints as a factory laborer, a hotel desk clerk in Arizona, a clerk at the Fargo Public Library, a construction laborer at the Coyote Plant near Beulah, ND, a worker at the pasta plant in Carrington, an inspector at Integrity Windows in Fargo, a contributing sports writer for The Transcript, and as possibly the most particular worker in the history of the New Rockford park department. His work there gained him much respect from the area’s young people and he was known for his attention to detail in caring for the softball and baseball fields.

      All three Aslakson children spent spring and summer days working for their father, Ole, who was an aerial crop sprayer. Bill’s sisters remember being trained by him as flaggers; he took pride in teaching them to mark off their steps in perfect sync so the swaths were straight and they came to the end of the field at exactly the same time as he did.

       All during his life, Bill continued to return home to New Rockford on weekends and breaks between his various jobs. After his father died in 1977, he was devoted to helping his mother with the upkeep of the house and expansive yard. He collected model cars and toy farm implements and was always very careful with his possessions. His mother said, “He probably has every toy he ever had – in mint condition!” He enjoyed keeping up with all kinds of sports, from high school basketball and football to NASCAR racing, college sports and professional football and baseball. He was a lifelong Rockets fan and will be missed in the bleachers and along the sidelines.

      Although Bill never married, he enjoyed his many nieces and nephews and spent many holidays with his sister Kristy and her extended family. After his mother passed away in 2008 Bill moved back to New Rockford where he lived and cared for the family home until the time of his death. The Hager nieces and nephews have good memories of flying kites, floating on the river in his rubber raft and playing baseball in his back field.  He took on a good part of the responsibility for the care and preservation of Ole’s two model steam engines. “Uncle Bill” and nephew Nick worked together on repairs and completing unfinished details; Bill’s concern for preserving the integrity of the originals was apparent and sometimes created “opportunities” for Nick to manufacture parts and work with tools and skills that tested his mechanical ability.

      Bill will live on in the memories of his sisters: Kristy (Andy) Hager, LaMoure, ND; and Betty (Russ) Werth, Bowman, ND; seven nieces and nephews and their growing families: Wendy (Jeff) Weikum, Bismarck, ND; Sally Hager, LaMoure, ND; Scott (Dana) Hager, Bismarck, ND; Michael (Jessica) Hager, Beulah, ND; David (Helen) Hager, Grand Forks, ND; Nick (Deb Birch) Werth, Rhame, ND; and Alicia (Darrell) Gettis, Wenatchee, WA. Bill’s family takes great comfort in knowing that he was watched over by friends and neighbors at the end of his life.

      He was preceded in death by his parents, Ole and Isabelle; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Visitation: One hour prior to the funeral at church

Funeral Service:  Wednesday, April 11, 2018 in First Congregational Church, New Rockford

Burial:  Grandfield Cemetery, Sheyenne, ND