William H. Teske

​William H. Teske, 93, of Grand Forks, ND passed away Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at 4000 Valley Square-Woodside Village in Grand Forks.
William Harry Teske was born September 16, 1925, the son of Frank L. Teske and Martha F. (Osowski) on the family farm in Pulaski Township, Walsh County, North Dakota, where he was raised and educated. He attended a one room country schoolhouse and St. Anthony’s convent school in Warsaw. As a child, William loved riding his bicycle. At the age of ten he began playing the violin; during his youth he played a recital at the UND music conservatory. During the Depression, a time of limited harvest, he helped his family raise turkeys to make ends meet. Together he and his siblings would make their own fun, such as building high flying box kites.
William was united in marriage to Cecilia Marie Woinarowicz on October 11, 1949 at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Stephen, Minnesota. As an adult, William enjoyed working the land; his farm was one of the first in the area to raise mustard and sunflowers. He farmed for over fifty years, initially with his father and brother, Richard. After his marriage, he farmed with his wife Cecilia on their rural Grafton farm until 1989. In 1997, William and Cecilia moved to Grand Forks. After retirement, William enjoyed riding and restoring Harley-Davidson motorcycles. At age 84 he took his last ride, going from Grand Forks to Hillsboro and back. From birth, William was a member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Warsaw, North Dakota, and later a member of St. Michael’s in Grand Forks.
William is survived by his wife, Cecilia; daughters, Carol (Larry) Kuether, Jane (Terry) Powers, and Gail (Craig Hartenstein) Teske; son, Dennis F. Teske (Craig Baehr); daughter-in-law, Debra R. Teske; 12 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Richard; his sisters, Irene Teske and Severina Miller; his son, Donald; his great-grandson, Seth Kuether; his special niece, Lois Miller and his goddaughter/niece, Diane Teske.


Mass of Christian Burial: 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 3, 2019 in St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Grand Forks, ND.
Visitation: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, June 2 with a 4:30 p.m. rosary service and 7:00 p.m. vigil service in the Historic Norman Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will continue for one hour prior to the liturgy in the church on Monday.
Burial: 2:00 p.m. Monday in St. Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery, Warsaw, ND.