William “Bill” James Law, husband, father, and businessman passed away July 17, 2019, shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday and 69th wedding anniversary.
Bill was born July 5, 1926, in Valley City, ND to William Edward Quinlan and Florence Phoebe Dieterich. The family later moved to Dickinson, ND. As a child, he helped in the family business, the Villard Hotel and Quinlan's Cafe. His father passed away in 1936. Florence remarried, and he and his sister Florence Elizabeth were adopted by their stepfather, Ralph Douglas Law.
Like so many young men at the time, high school graduation was followed by military service. Bill enlisted in the Army and served during the remainder of WWII, then went off to college. He attended school in Boulder, CO and Fargo, ND for a few years, then went into business in 1948 as a partner with Harold Kapelovitz in K-G Men's Store in Dickinson, ND.
He married Helen Monica Ehrmantraut in 1950. While in Dickinson, the family grew to three boys, and the business grew as well. In the summer of 1962, with the business expanding into Montana, the family made Missoula, MT their new home and welcomed a fourth son in the fall. While in Missoula, Bill traded in his bowling ball, and he and Helen became avid golfers. In 1965, with the business continuing to expand, they made one last move to Great Falls.
While living in Great Falls, the kids graduated from college and K-G grew to over 100 stores in the western US, including Miss K-G and K-G Bootery. Bill decided it was time to retire in 1990 and catch up on traveling and golfing. Bill and Helen spent time in the summers golfing, hiking, and camping, and the winters in San Diego. The highlight of their travels included two trips to China, one to Japan, several trips to Spain, and visits to Dubai and Saudi Arabia to visit their son, Bob, who was working there.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the O'Connor Funeral Home website.
