William Haglund

William Dale (Bill) Haglund, 79, passed away peacefully in his sleep early Thursday morning August 10, 2023. Bill was born September 13, 1943 in Boone, IA to Carl and Lela (Knox) Haglund. He married Judy Long in December of 1992.
Bill attended and graduated from North Polk High School in Alleman, Iowa. He received a degree from Waldorf College in Forest City, IA where he played baseball, basketball and managed the football team. He was later inducted to the Waldorf Athletic Hall of Fame for all three.
After college Bill joined the Army where he continued to pursue his passion for baseball by playing battalion ball in Nurnberg, Germany in 1966 and 1967. In 1968 Bill traveled to Leksand, Sweden while on summer leave from the Army and played with a brand-new Swedish baseball league. Leksand won the championship that year, outscoring their opponents 143-10. That summer Bill pitched the first no-hitter in Swedish baseball. Former teammate, Kjell Leander said "When Bill was pitching there wasn't much for us to do in the field because he would just blow the ball passed the batters."
After the Army Bill joined the staff of the Wausau Herald in Wausau, WI, as a sportswriter and editor. It was here that Bill reignited his love for another passion - auto racing. Bill then went on to work for IMCA during the 1980s, playing a pivotal role in the development and spread of the then new IMCA Modified class of cars. He also served as editor of Hawkeye Racing News. This eventually led to him being publisher and editor of his own newspaper, Mid-States Racing News.
Bill received numerous awards throughout his career as a journalist including Master Editor-Publisher from the Iowa Newspaper Association.
Bill spent almost the entirety of his adult life focused on the sport of auto racing, writing and publishing two books about the history of the sport and working as a race promoter at different tracks. He is remembered by friends and colleagues as someone with a great passion for and knowledge of the sport.
Bill is survived by his wife, Judy Haglund; sister, Andrea Walker; daughter, Karin Worth; son, Karl (Jenna) Haglund; 2 step-children, Brent (Tori) Long and Lori (Jeff) Konzen; 4 grandchildren, 5 step-grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his brother, Roger Haglund.
A visitation will take place on Monday August 28, 2023 from 6-8PM at Iles Westover Chapel, 6337 Hickman Road in Des Moines. The funeral service will take place at Iles Westover Chapel on Tuesday August 29, 2023 at 10:30AM followed by interment at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter at 12:30. A reception will follow from 1-3 at the American Legion in Van Meter.
Online condolences are welcome at www.IlesCares.com
Arrangements by Iles Westover Chapel.
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