Anderson Funeral Home
Homeserving families for over 70 years
312 South Stone St.
Augusta, WI 54722
715-286-2222
Bill Brown
Bret William Brown, known to family and friends as Bill, passed away on August 1, 2026, at his home in Augusta, reaching the age of 76 years.
Bill was born on July 28th, 1950, the son of James and Dorothy (Ayres) Brown. He was raised in the Augusta area with his eight siblings and attended country school and Augusta High School. He was baptized with his family by his grandfather, Pastor Jesse Ayres. Bill was united in marriage to Bonnie Lane on August 31, 1968, at Grace Lutheran Church in Augusta, where he became a confirmed member.
As a young adult, he had worked for Randall's Livestock in Augusta, then at the Osseo Silo Company, before going to work at the Neillsville Foundry. He then took a job with the Augusta Farmers Union Co-op, where he stayed for 25 years. And before finally retiring in 2014, he had worked a time at Mail Source in Augusta.
Bill enjoyed the challenge of restoring many classic cars over the years and went to car shows. When he could no longer restore cars, he worked on model cars and loved the attention to detail it required. He often talked how much he enjoyed going to breakfast with his friends and old classmates. He was a diehard Packer fan, even through the bad years before Favre; in recent years, however, he hated the night games when he had to stay up well past his bedtime.
Bill loved hunting, fishing, and spoiling his beloved cat, Duke. Whether you knew him as Bill, Dad, Grandpa Brown or Uncle Bill, he loved his family deeply and fully with his heart of gold.
Bill will be dearly missed by his wife, Bonnie; son, Bret and Sheila Brown of Eau Claire; 5 grandchildren, Adam and Rachel Brown, Alecia Petty, and Tyler and Chloe Thorson. He is further survived by his five brothers, Jim (Betty) Brown, John (Connie) Brown, and Gary (Angie) Brown, all of Augusta, Danny (Kathy) Brown of Kansas City, Kansas, and Rick (Cindy) Brown of Altoona; sister, Judy Olson of Osseo: and in-laws, Carol Bien of Eleva, Virginia (Marten) Abbley of Osseo, Randy Peterson of Augusta, several nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and Jim; daughter, Teresa Thorson; 2 brothers and their wives, Eugene (Carolyn) Brown, and Chuck (Patti) Brown; brother-in-law, Arlyn Olson; by his father and mother-in-law, Reinhold and Leona Lane; Bonnie's siblings, Kenny (Jan) Lane, Patsy Peterson; and brother-in-law, Lyle Bien.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, August 8th, at 2 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Augusta, with Pastor Jonathan Wessel officiating.
Burial will be in the West Lawn Cemetery in Augusta.
Friends may call from noon until the time of service on Saturday at the church.
The family is assisted by Anderson Funeral Home in Augusta.
