William "Tiny" Achtenberg, 69, Mandan, died Feb. 3, 2003, in a Bismarck hospital. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First Lutheran Church, Mandan, with the Rev. Larry Geise officiating. Burial will be in Mandan Union Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. today at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan, where a prayer service will begin at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue on Friday from 9 to 10 a.m. at St. Vincent's Nursing Home, Bismarck, and from noon to 9 p.m. at the funeral home. Visitation will also be held one hour before services at the church.
William was born Dec. 16, 1933, north of New Leipzig, the son of Jacob and Emelia (Redinger) Achtenberg. He was raised and educated 18 miles northwest of New Leipzig. On Nov. 7, 1954, William married Bernice Guenther. They farmed north of New Leipzig until the fall of 1961, when they moved to Mandan. Tiny went to work for Lostreter Brothers Dairy until Feb. 6, 1964, when he went to work at the North Dakota Industrial School until his retirement on Aug. 1, 1995. In 1965, Tiny became one of the first Mandan school bus drivers. He started driving for Square Butte and had a bus route for many years. In 1966, Tiny became the activity driver for Mandan High School, driving for the athletic band for 26 years, until his retiring in 1992.
In 1967, Tiny was a professional wrestler and was known as the Great Apollo, wrestling in the Minneapolis area on the weekends. He also wrestled to raise money for charity events in Bismarck.
Tiny received numerous awards from the Mandan Public School system and the North Dakota Industrial School. In 1974, Tiny was named an honorary lifetime member of the Mandan High School M.A.R. club. In 1975, he was named to the Who's Who in the Mandan News. Tiny's pride and joy were the young people and he was a lifelong supporter of all Mandan's athletes.
Grateful for having shared Tiny's life are his wife of 48 years, Bernice; his daughter and son-in-law, Jocelyn and William Tescher, Mandan; two sons and daughters-in-law, Greg and Mary, Mandan, and Tiff and Lori of Olathe, Kan.; his grandchildren, Peggy Christensen and her fiance, Jason Schons, Benjamin Christensen and his fiancee, Lauranda Hoon, and Jacob, Jonathan and Zachary Achtenberg, all of Mandan, and Katy and Colton Achtenberg, both of Olathe; two great-grandchildren, Hunter Jackman and Wesley Schons, both of Mandan; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Alice and Ernie Johnson, Longmont, Colo., Adeline Lingert, Elgin, Darlene Kuntz, Maxee, Wash., and Arnold Kirsch, Mott; and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Ernie and Marianne Achtenberg and Christ and Erma Achtenberg, all of New Leipzig, Virgil and Eunice Achtenberg, Hysham, Mont., and Sue Achtenberg, Kennewick, Wash.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Ray and Alvin; and a sister, Gladys Kirsch.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the American Diabetes Association.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. today at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan, where a prayer service will begin at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue on Friday from 9 to 10 a.m. at St. Vincent's Nursing Home, Bismarck, and from noon to 9 p.m. at the funeral home. Visitation will also be held one hour before services at the church.
William was born Dec. 16, 1933, north of New Leipzig, the son of Jacob and Emelia (Redinger) Achtenberg. He was raised and educated 18 miles northwest of New Leipzig. On Nov. 7, 1954, William married Bernice Guenther. They farmed north of New Leipzig until the fall of 1961, when they moved to Mandan. Tiny went to work for Lostreter Brothers Dairy until Feb. 6, 1964, when he went to work at the North Dakota Industrial School until his retirement on Aug. 1, 1995. In 1965, Tiny became one of the first Mandan school bus drivers. He started driving for Square Butte and had a bus route for many years. In 1966, Tiny became the activity driver for Mandan High School, driving for the athletic band for 26 years, until his retiring in 1992.
In 1967, Tiny was a professional wrestler and was known as the Great Apollo, wrestling in the Minneapolis area on the weekends. He also wrestled to raise money for charity events in Bismarck.
Tiny received numerous awards from the Mandan Public School system and the North Dakota Industrial School. In 1974, Tiny was named an honorary lifetime member of the Mandan High School M.A.R. club. In 1975, he was named to the Who's Who in the Mandan News. Tiny's pride and joy were the young people and he was a lifelong supporter of all Mandan's athletes.
Grateful for having shared Tiny's life are his wife of 48 years, Bernice; his daughter and son-in-law, Jocelyn and William Tescher, Mandan; two sons and daughters-in-law, Greg and Mary, Mandan, and Tiff and Lori of Olathe, Kan.; his grandchildren, Peggy Christensen and her fiance, Jason Schons, Benjamin Christensen and his fiancee, Lauranda Hoon, and Jacob, Jonathan and Zachary Achtenberg, all of Mandan, and Katy and Colton Achtenberg, both of Olathe; two great-grandchildren, Hunter Jackman and Wesley Schons, both of Mandan; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Alice and Ernie Johnson, Longmont, Colo., Adeline Lingert, Elgin, Darlene Kuntz, Maxee, Wash., and Arnold Kirsch, Mott; and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Ernie and Marianne Achtenberg and Christ and Erma Achtenberg, all of New Leipzig, Virgil and Eunice Achtenberg, Hysham, Mont., and Sue Achtenberg, Kennewick, Wash.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Ray and Alvin; and a sister, Gladys Kirsch.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the American Diabetes Association.
William "Tiny" Achtenberg, 69, Mandan, died Feb. 3, 2003, in a Bismarck hospital. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First Lutheran Church, Mandan, with the Rev. Larry Geise officiating. Burial will be in Mandan Union Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. today at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan, where a prayer service will begin at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue on Friday from 9 to 10 a.m. at St. Vincent's Nursing Home, Bismarck, and from noon to 9 p.m. at the funeral home. Visitation will also be held one hour before services at the church.
William was born Dec. 16, 1933, north of New Leipzig, the son of Jacob and Emelia (Redinger) Achtenberg. He was raised and educated 18 miles northwest of New Leipzig. On Nov. 7, 1954, William married Bernice Guenther. They farmed north of New Leipzig until the fall of 1961, when they moved to Mandan. Tiny went to work for Lostreter Brothers Dairy until Feb. 6, 1964, when he went to work at the North Dakota Industrial School until his retirement on Aug. 1, 1995. In 1965, Tiny became one of the first Mandan school bus drivers. He started driving for Square Butte and had a bus route for many years. In 1966, Tiny became the activity driver for Mandan High School, driving for the athletic band for 26 years, until his retiring in 1992.
In 1967, Tiny was a professional wrestler and was known as the Great Apollo, wrestling in the Minneapolis area on the weekends. He also wrestled to raise money for charity events in Bismarck.
Tiny received numerous awards from the Mandan Public School system and the North Dakota Industrial School. In 1974, Tiny was named an honorary lifetime member of the Mandan High School M.A.R. club. In 1975, he was named to the Who's Who in the Mandan News. Tiny's pride and joy were the young people and he was a lifelong supporter of all Mandan's athletes.
Grateful for having shared Tiny's life are his wife of 48 years, Bernice; his daughter and son-in-law, Jocelyn and William Tescher, Mandan; two sons and daughters-in-law, Greg and Mary, Mandan, and Tiff and Lori of Olathe, Kan.; his grandchildren, Peggy Christensen and her fiance, Jason Schons, Benjamin Christensen and his fiancee, Lauranda Hoon, and Jacob, Jonathan and Zachary Achtenberg, all of Mandan, and Katy and Colton Achtenberg, both of Olathe; two great-grandchildren, Hunter Jackman and Wesley Schons, both of Mandan; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Alice and Ernie Johnson, Longmont, Colo., Adeline Lingert, Elgin, Darlene Kuntz, Maxee, Wash., and Arnold Kirsch, Mott; and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Ernie and Marianne Achtenberg and Christ and Erma Achtenberg, all of New Leipzig, Virgil and Eunice Achtenberg, Hysham, Mont., and Sue Achtenberg, Kennewick, Wash.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Ray and Alvin; and a sister, Gladys Kirsch.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the American Diabetes Association.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. today at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan, where a prayer service will begin at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue on Friday from 9 to 10 a.m. at St. Vincent's Nursing Home, Bismarck, and from noon to 9 p.m. at the funeral home. Visitation will also be held one hour before services at the church.
William was born Dec. 16, 1933, north of New Leipzig, the son of Jacob and Emelia (Redinger) Achtenberg. He was raised and educated 18 miles northwest of New Leipzig. On Nov. 7, 1954, William married Bernice Guenther. They farmed north of New Leipzig until the fall of 1961, when they moved to Mandan. Tiny went to work for Lostreter Brothers Dairy until Feb. 6, 1964, when he went to work at the North Dakota Industrial School until his retirement on Aug. 1, 1995. In 1965, Tiny became one of the first Mandan school bus drivers. He started driving for Square Butte and had a bus route for many years. In 1966, Tiny became the activity driver for Mandan High School, driving for the athletic band for 26 years, until his retiring in 1992.
In 1967, Tiny was a professional wrestler and was known as the Great Apollo, wrestling in the Minneapolis area on the weekends. He also wrestled to raise money for charity events in Bismarck.
Tiny received numerous awards from the Mandan Public School system and the North Dakota Industrial School. In 1974, Tiny was named an honorary lifetime member of the Mandan High School M.A.R. club. In 1975, he was named to the Who's Who in the Mandan News. Tiny's pride and joy were the young people and he was a lifelong supporter of all Mandan's athletes.
Grateful for having shared Tiny's life are his wife of 48 years, Bernice; his daughter and son-in-law, Jocelyn and William Tescher, Mandan; two sons and daughters-in-law, Greg and Mary, Mandan, and Tiff and Lori of Olathe, Kan.; his grandchildren, Peggy Christensen and her fiance, Jason Schons, Benjamin Christensen and his fiancee, Lauranda Hoon, and Jacob, Jonathan and Zachary Achtenberg, all of Mandan, and Katy and Colton Achtenberg, both of Olathe; two great-grandchildren, Hunter Jackman and Wesley Schons, both of Mandan; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Alice and Ernie Johnson, Longmont, Colo., Adeline Lingert, Elgin, Darlene Kuntz, Maxee, Wash., and Arnold Kirsch, Mott; and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Ernie and Marianne Achtenberg and Christ and Erma Achtenberg, all of New Leipzig, Virgil and Eunice Achtenberg, Hysham, Mont., and Sue Achtenberg, Kennewick, Wash.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Ray and Alvin; and a sister, Gladys Kirsch.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the American Diabetes Association.
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