William "Bill" Graney

William “Bill” C. Graney, 74, Beulah, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2018, surrounded by his loving family after a brief and courageous battle with cancer.  Services will be held at 10:00 AM CDT on Friday, June 15, 2018 at Zion Lutheran Church, Beulah with Pastor Walt Wolff officiating.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Thursday at Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah.

Bill was born at home in Platteville, Wisconsin, on July 3, 1943 to Burdette and Helen (Koeller) Graney, the second of four children.  He was raised on a farm and educated in a one-room country schoolhouse, then high school in Platteville.  On October 3, 1964 he married his loving wife of 53 years, Shirley Smith, at Grace Episcopal Church in Galena, Illinois.  Together they lived in Platteville where their first son, Eric, was born. They moved to East Dubuque, Illinois, when he was hired as an operator at the Apple River Chemical Company and worked his way through ranks to become the head of Maintenance.  They built a house along the Mississippi River where their second son, Jeff, was born.  In 1982, Bill was recruited to work at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant in Beulah, ND and the family made the big move.  He retired as the Operations Manager in 1999 at age 55.

Bill was a man of many talents and a jack of all trades.  He was a champion fast-pitch softball pitcher; captain of a salmon charter boat on Lake Sakakawea; he caught literally “tons” of fish in his lifetime, the prize being a 13.3# walleye on Pathfinder Reservoir, Wyoming; he loved to golf, winning lots of money this past winter in Florida; he could fix anything: cars, engines, TVs, appliances; he was instrumental in building Hazen Winter Sports into what it is today; he was an expert construction and finish carpenter, taking a double wide trailer down to the studs, putting it on a raised basement, and turning it into a beautiful lake home.

Some of Bill’s loves included spending time with his grandkids, especially golfing with them and watching them excel at soccer, basketball, dance, gymnastics, golf and hockey; pheasant hunting with his boys and their friends and their dogs; cheering on his Packers and Cubs; and talking hockey with anybody.  He will be remembered for his huge hands, big heart, and even bigger grin.

Bill is survived by his wife, Shirley; two sons and daughters-in-law, Eric and Diana Graney, Casper, WY and Jeff and Julie Graney, Beulah; grandchildren, Kayzanne, Kylie, Adam, and Kaitlyn; a sister, Nancy (Tom) Hoover, Oakridge, TN; a brother, Tom (Barb) Graney, Salt Lake City, UT; and numerous nieces and nephews.

 He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Stanley.

In lieu of flowers please send memorials to Hazen Winter Sports P.O. Box 2005, Hazen, ND 58545.

Arrangements conducted by Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah and Hazen.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William "Bill" Graney, please visit our floral store.