law enforcement, fire dept., EMS processional in honor of Sheriff Bill Bergquist (Madison Quinn, KFGO News)
MOORHEAD (KFGO) – Retired Clay County Sheriff Bill Bergquist has been remembered as a friend, mentor, and humble person who preferred to have others receive recognition.
Hundreds of people attended his funeral service at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse on the MSUM campus Monday. He began his law enforcement career as a volunteer with the Moorhead-Clay Police Reserve in 1979. He worked for the Glyndon, Dilworth and Moorhead Police Depts. before he was elected sheriff in 2002. He was also a member of the Dilworth Fire Dept.
“Billy, as I affectionately called him, was a humble guy. He was quick to give credit to others and shy away from being the guy who knew it all or had all the answers,” said Former Clay County Attorney and one-time District Judge Lisa Borgen in her eulogy.
“In truth, Billy didn’t have all the answers, but he surrounded himself with a team at the department that had the experience and good judgement to make his job easier,” Borgen added.
“He was loved, respected, you could tell by his family, his pride and joy, what he loved the most,” said former Moorhead Police Lt. Chris Carey. “Even though he passed away way before I was ever ready to say goodbye to him, this occupancy tells me how he was loved, god loves you Billy and so do I,” said Carey, who was a close friend of Bergquist.
Bergquist died of complications from Alzheimer’s-Dementia on July 29. He was diagnosed shortly after his retirement in 2019. He was 64.
Bergquist’s wife, Annie, died last April. The couple leaves behind two grown children and three grandchildren.
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