William Setzer

William “Bill” Gilbert Setzer was born on December 29, 1933, in St. Paul, Minnesota to Bennie and Dorothy (Peterson) Setzer. 

He served in the United States Air Force in 1952.

In November of 1952, he married Gloria Sanchez. From this marriage, two children were born, Allen Joseph Setzer Frasl and James William Setzer Frasl. They were divorced in November of 1955.

He later married Joyce Eva Musta on January 7, 1956. To this marriage 4 children were born, Steve, Lynda, Penny, and Kurt.

Bill enjoyed several different professions. He was a mail carrier, a part-time cop, and he ran a small business with his wife Joyce in Cottage Grove, called the Poster Patch where they made custom t-shirts. But his most loved profession was being an Engineer for the railroad and the Amtrak line. After retiring from that he engineered the Minnesota Zephyr dinner train.  He also engineered the Bicentennial Freedom Train from Wisconsin to St. Paul.

He was very active in his Masonic Lodge #5, having been raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason in May of 2014. He was also very active in the Shriners of Minnesota, as well as being a part of Osman Shrine Clowns as Casie The Clown.

After the death of Joyce in 1995, Bill met Ruth Nelson in 2001 and married May 18, 2002. They were married 20 years at the time of his death. They enjoyed time together snow birding to Florida and spending time with family and friends.

Bill loved spending time going through his genealogy and finding out everything he could about his ancestors.  He had a love of Eagles and avidly collected statues and prints of them as well as getting them as gifts from family.

Bill is survived by his sister, Judy (Steve) Reitmeier; his wife, Ruth Nelson; stepchildren, Dwight (Jody) Nelson, Rory Nelson, Curtis (Belinda) Nelson, Darcy (Roy) Mayeda; children, Al (Sue) Setzer Frasl, Steven (Heidi) Setzer, Lynda Setzer, Kurt (Shari) Setzer and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and 1 great –great granddaughter.

He is preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, John and Phillip; his former wife, Joyce; his son, James; his daughter, Penny and a granddaughter, Kayla.

In lieu of flowers memorials preferred to the St. Paul Shriners, 15 Radio Dr. Woodbury, Minnesota 55125 or family will donate to Shriners on your behalf.

Memorial Gathering: Saturday, October 22, 2022, from 2-4 P.M., with a 3:30 service at the Erickson-Smith Funeral Homes in Hoffman.

Clergy: Pastor Mark Mathews

Interment will be at the Cottage Grove Cemetery at a later date.

Funeral arrangements are with the Erickson-Smith Funeral Homes of Hoffman.