William C. Hallam

William C. Hallam, age 80 passed away unexpectedly at his home in rural Trempealeau County, November 16, 2018. He was born on April 18, 1938 in Illinois, the son of Benjamin Paul and Audrey (Hamilton) Hallam. William, the eldest of five siblings, was raised in Racine, WI. He graduated from Washington Park High School and went on to earn his Bachelor of Science (Light Building Industry) degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison. There he met his wife, Julie (Modine) Hallam, by chance one day when she asked for directions to the building B-10 Commerce. William was fortunate enough to know the way, which led to their marriage on September 15, 1963. They first lived in Madison, then Duluth, Eau Claire and finally settled south of Eleva in 1978, where they purchased land and established Bennett Ridge Farm. An award-winning architect turned dairy farmer, William wanted to live a quiet life, build his own business and instill his value of hard work in his three daughters. He raised and milked registered Guernsey’s and worked tirelessly to improve the farm, land and herd. The same talents by which he excelled in architecture shaped a top-notch dairy farm. Years later he returned to architecture and became a partner at SDS Architects in Eau Claire. A life-long fisherman, William enjoyed traveling across Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario, Canada with his family in search of the elusive walleye. Together they spent many hours in his cherished boat, Badger 1. In his retirement, William had a wide range of interests and pursued many hobbies including woodworking, bluebird preservation, perfecting his family bread recipe, and building model trains and airplanes. William was an industrious man who was happiest when in pursuit of excellence. William is survived by his three daughters, Maggie Hallam, Elizabeth Harris, and Anne Jones; five grandchildren; three brothers and one sister. He was preceded by his parents and beloved wife, Julie (Modine) Hallam. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made in William's honor to www.curesma.org or www.rarediseases.org. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the first responders that were at the home.