On July 28th, 2007 Bill Klugow passed away while doing something he loved, bear hunting with hounds. On this day members of the Wisconsin Bear Hunters along with everyone who enjoys the outdoors and the sounds of hounds running lost a good friend, hunting partner, mentor, or role model.
Bill was the president of the Wisconsin Bear Hunter’s Association and past Board of Directors. Bill dedicated countless hours to the WBHA and to the sport of bear hunting with hounds. Bill will be greatly missed by many because of his leadership, good humor and desire to make things better for everyone. I will miss working with him… Joe Janak
I met Bill 12 years ago in Marshfield. We at that time were fighting to keep our sport. There was a bill to eliminate hunting bears with dogs which I'm sure you all remember. Well, 12 years later we're still running hounds. Bill was a fighter. We talked many times over the years about the future of bear hunting. His passion was to see to it that his grandchildren would be able to hunt; that’s why he stayed at it this long. Not many people would dedicate years to a volunteer organization unless it was because of a love for the sport. It has truly been a privilege to have known him for so long. I surely will miss him... Scott Meyer
Tribute to Bill Klugow –
How do you say goodbye to a man that has been in your life for so long? How do you look into everyone’s eyes and say it will be okay? After pondering over what to write, all I can say was that he was an everyday hero not only to his family, friends and co-workers, but mainly to his community. If the job had to get done, it never mattered to Bill on how; he tried to get it done.
Bill’s concern for other people’s welfare was on the top of the list. Bill had a pretty soft heart full of kindness. I think being a father meant more to Bill than most people. Not only did he help raise his own biological children, but he helped raise many other kids throughout the community. Bill was a great entrepreneur to the world of hunting and shared his wisdom with all. He loved sharing his hunting world with kids and knew that was where the future was.
Before I had even met Bill personally, my husband (Dewey Butterfield) had told me countless hunting stories of when he was a kid. Most of the stories seemed unbelievable, but throughout the years they were verified one way or another. I can’t help but thank him for doing his part in taking a kid under his wing and showing him the ways of the woods….Patti Butterfield
I lost one of my best friends Saturday and I cried a lot. Vicki and the girls all cried with me. We loved Bill. Bear hunting will never be the same for me and my family. I would never be able to repay Bill for all he did for me. He was one of the nicest, most generous people that I ever met. I don't know how he had the time to devote to the fire department, the town board, the WBHA, and everything else that he did for everyone.
I built my cabin in Danbury hoping to retire there some day. I knew Bill and I could go hunting or fishing everyday. I guess you can't predict the future and there are no guarantees in life. I will never forget all the great times I spent with Bill. He taught me a lot about hunting and about life. The only good thing I could say about last Saturday would be that Bill passed away quickly, without suffering. He was with his family doing what he loved most in life.
Bill, I miss you, but I know you are in Heaven with your dad now. I hope God has a cooler full of Leinenklugows iced down for you at all times. Save one for me..................Dale, Vicki and the girls
To all,
On behalf of the SCI Chapters of Wisconsin we would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and acquaintances of Billy Klugow. Bill's civic dedication as Town Chairman, Fire Chief, and President of the Bear Hunters Assoc., will truly be missed, but his contributions will live on. Thanks Billy, you were one of the good ones.
Greg ‘Kaz’ Kazmierski
Pres. SCI Dairyland Chapter
I am thankful I had the chance to meet Bill in my lifetime. We both served on the WBHA Board of Directors for a number of years. Bill often asked me to come up, north of the Poplar Curtin, to hunt with him - in God’s country. Last fall I took him up on the invitation; I can say with out question that Bill was one of the finest hosts I ever stayed with. He got mad at me because I brought up some staples; he said he had 4 freezers full of grub. He enjoyed cooking for the crew. He didn't seem to mind if Stubby did a little cooking. We had a great time out in the woods and treed many bear to boot. I spent a year as Bill’s vice president, we talked almost daily about different problems and how to solve them. I miss those calls from Bill. The only thing I could never get him to do was use spell check on his e-mail.
Happy trails old friend we will see you on the other side…….Doug Rubey
A thank you from Bill Klugow's family.