Bruce J. Bilgreen

April 29, 1935 - January 1, 2021

Bruce J. Bilgreen, 85, of Kingsford, passed away on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 at Dickinson County Hospital. Bruce was born on April 29, 1935, in Iron Mountain, son of the late Walter and Caroline (Schaefer) Bilgreen. He was raised in Kingsford and was a 1953 graduate of Kingsford High School. Bruce enlisted into the United States Army and served in Korea from 1958 until he was honorably discharged in 1960. He married Kathleen Smith on June 4, 1966, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. They raised their family in Kingsford while Bruce worked for the United States Postal Service. He retired after more than thirty years with the Postal Service. Bruce was an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting and fishing. He also enjoyed camping, picking blueberries and hunting for copper in the Keweenaw. He was a loyal Kingsford Flivver sports fan and never missed a Flivver football game. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Beatrice Gilbert and Jean Pirlot and a brother, Walter Bilgreen. Bruce is survived by his loving wife of fifty four years, Kathleen; children, Julie (Fran) Wlodarczyk of Cedarburg, WI, Bruce (Kathryn) Bilgreen of Iron Mountain and Brian (Trina) Bilgreen of Kingsford; sisters, Dorothy (Glenn) Johnson of Homestead, WI, Yvonne (Paul) Voight of Port St. Lucie, FL and Beverly Prichard of Cookeville, TN; six grandchildren, Desirae (Jeremy Beaudoin), Bruce, Samuel, Emma, Hunter and Gracyn; also many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, Jan. 7th at 11:00 am at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Kingsford. Rev. Matthew Ruesch will officiate. Burial will be in the Quinnesec Cemetery. The funeral service will be live streamed at facebook.com/ourredeemerkingsford Condolences to the family of Bruce Bilgreen may be expressed online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home with the arrangements.