William Liechti

William Liechti, 87, of Seneca, passed away, Sunday, December 11, 2011 at his home in Seneca.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 17, 2011 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Seneca with Pastor Daniel Tews officiating. Burial followed in the Oakland Cemetery with Military Honors. Visitation was held one hour prior to the services at the church.

Bill was born on a farm in Latham Township, near Latham Lake on April 23, 1924 to John and Mary (Studer) Liechti. He graduated from Seneca High School in 1942.  

Following school, Bill entered the U.S. Navy, January 1943.   His three older brothers, Alfred, Walt, and Ernest were already serving in the Army at the time Bill had enlisted.  Bill’s oldest brother, John, was considered the head of the household after their father had died in 1926 in a hunting accident.  Bill served in the U.S. Navy from 1943-1946, stationed in the Pacific on several islands during that time as part of the P.A.T.S.U.  1-7 ordinance, servicing the Black Cats, amphibious PBY-Catalina planes during the Pacific Theatre.

After discharge from the military, he studied electronics in Sioux Falls.  He worked on construction with John Henry on many of the homes in Seneca.  Bill enjoyed fishing, hunting and trapping.  He attended a School of Taxidermy in 1947.  He was an advocate for wildlife habitat.  

On October 17, 1947 he was united in marriage to Pauline June Stebbins at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Seneca.  Bill taught school for a couple of years SW of Seneca in a one room school house.  In 1958, he began serving as Rural Mail Carrier at Seneca.  In 1979, he was transferred to a Faulkton route.  He retired from the U.S. Postal Service in the 90’s.

In October, 2009, he had the opportunity to fly on an Honor Flight to visit the WW II memorial in Washington DC. 

He is survived by his wife, Pauline of 64 years; four children:  Edward Liechti of Seneca, Richard Liechti  of San Miguel, CA and twin daughters, Pamela Liechti of Aberdeen, and Paulette (Barry) Miller of Seeley Lake, MT;  one granddaughter, Jennifer Ziebart of Mitchell; and two sisters, Ella (Ruben)  Premus,  Highmore and Mary (Frank) Peters of Castro Valley, CA.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary; five brothers:  Fredrick, Ernest, Walt, Alfred, and John; and two sisters:  Louisa and Rose.

Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has been entrusted with William’s arrangements.