William Harry Carr

William Harry Carr, 70, formerly of Frazee, gained his angel wings when he passed at his home in Dilworth, MN on October 28, 2025.

Bill was born on December 29, 1954 to David (Jack) Carr and Lucille (Crowell) Carr in Detroit Lakes, MN. Bill’s family moved around quite a bit in those early years, with Detroit Lakes, Height of Land, and Frazee all being called home. Bill’s kind and feeling heart was tested early on when the family experienced many crippling losses, each of which he carried with him always, yet never diminished his ability to keep on loving.

He attended school primarily in Frazee before graduating from Detroit Lakes High School in 1974. With no formal training, Bill excelled at all things mechanical and even taught himself to play guitar, which would be his lifelong gift to all who knew him. After school, Bill worked positions at various filling stations and automotive dealerships. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Deanna Vikesland, in 1977. Soon after, he was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic faith at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Frazee. The two were wed on December 9, 1978, and not long after, Bill would enter into his greatest legacy…fatherhood.

Bill was the greatest of family men. He worked two, sometimes three jobs to build a life of dreams for his family. He was a faithful mail carrier for the Frazee Post Office for 30 years, and many locals are still heard to say he was the best there ever was, always with a smile on his face and a dog biscuit at the ready. Bill also worked in maintenance at the Frazee Care Center and was very involved in various groups and committees-most pertaining to music and his family. He was a longtime member of the New Life guitar group at Sacred Heart, sang and played for numerous nursing homes and celebrations as a member of The Frazee Country Bunch, at different times was a member of the Frazee City Council, Knights of Columbus, chaired the Turkey Day parade, coordinated the yearly church Christmas pageant, and lent his exceptional musical talents to many functions over the years.

In 1996, Bill built for his family their house of dreams on beautiful Lake 7. This was the place that he loved the best, doing the things he loved the most: gardening, cooking, making his legendary pickles, hosting sing-a-longs around the kitchen table, and doing anything lake related. He adored animals and was a major Bigfoot enthusiast. Christmas was Bill’s favorite time of the year and was for him more a way of life than it was a holiday. Every year he worked to turn his home into a veritable North Pole, stringing lights across every eave and around every tree. He loved Christmas movies and music alike, and could be found enjoying these any day of the year. Bill, with his typical sense of humor, referred to himself as the Grinch, but was truly the Cindy Lou of us all, always embodying the true spirit of Christmas.

At the heart of everything, of all the hard work he did and the joy he brought to so many, Bill was a father that most could only dream of. He made magic for his children every day. There were nightly sing-a-longs to the strum of his guitar. Every night with Bill was movie night, and he always had his air popcorn popper ready. Each evening he came home from his daily gas station run with fun snacks for all his children, and if you were lucky enough to ride along, were able to sing his favorite songs with him along the way. He would stay out until well after dark, shoveling an ice skating rink on the lake for his daughters, surprising his son with a game that he loved even though money was tight and the only occasion was wanting to make him happy, letting his kids keep any of the menagerie of pets they brought home because secretly, he wanted to keep them too. In later years, he would drive in any weather to come rescue a homesick college kid and bring them home for the weekend or show up in the dead of night to shovel and salt their driveway while they slept…always the hero.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents Jack and Lucille Carr, honorary parents Russ and Virginia Vikesland, sisters Jackie Carr and Janice Elijah, brothers David and Mark, sister-in-law Barb, brother-in-law David Thompson, grandson Carson, and many cherished pets, all of whom he loved with all his heart.

Bill is survived by his children Heather (Caleb) Hoag of Fargo, ND, Cary (Cassie) Carr of Pelican Rapids, Stephanie Carr of Moorhead, Courtney (Brian) Anderson of Thief River Falls, grandchildren Hadley, Jack, Hudson, Fayden, Lyric, Caysen, Carter, Alli, Aria, Faith, Sophia, Olivia, Vienna, and Lucy, his partner in parenting Deanna Vikesland of Detroit Lakes, brother Steve (Edie) Carr of Gilbert, MN, sister-in-law Teresa Thompson of Fergus Falls, brother-in-law Rollie (Rose) Vikesland of Oregon, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

A memorial service will be conducted for Bill on Friday, November 14, 2025 at Furey Funeral Home beginning with a time of visitation at 9am. Formal services will begin at 10am. A time of food and fellowship will follow at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Frazee, in the lower/basement reception area.

Bill was funny as hell and kinder than most…a gentle, loving soul. With Bill gone, there is a lot less magic in the world, less music in our hearts. The Christmas lights will shine a little less bright. But Bill would say this if he were here: “Chin up, Sunshine. Keep on rockin’ and rolling. I’ll see you on the dusty trail.”