William “Bill” C. Trader, 81, Oriska, ND passed away at Mercy Hospital in Valley City, ND on November 17, 2025. Visitation will be held Monday, November 24 from 5:00PM until 7:00PM in St. Catherine Catholic Church, Valley City. The prayer service will be held at 7pm. The Rosary will be prayed at 9:00PM followed by a prayer service on Monday evening. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, November 25 at St. Catherine Catholic Church and he will be laid to rest in St. Bernard’s Catholic Cemetery, Oriska. The service will be live streamed, then archived, on a link provided along with his obituary on his tribute page at www.lerudmathias.com  An online guestbook is available there as well.

William Clifford Trader was born June 11, 1944, in Valley City, ND the son of Clifford H. and Helen (Hovda) Trader. He grew up in Barnes County, ND attending schools in Valley City and Oriska, ND. Bill was a member of the Oriska High School Class of
1962.

On June 13, 1964, he married Darlene Heinze at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Oriska. They made their home on a farm near Oriska where they raised their family. Bill farmed and did some excavating but is known best for his love of cars. He ran Trader Repair for many years. When he wasn’t working in the shop, he was most likely found doing something that involved some kind of vehicle. He drove bus for the Oriska schools for 35 years, cleared the snow at St. Bernard’s Church, and raced snowmobiles.

Bill was on the Oriska Township Board for several years. He was a member of the Eagles Club and the Prairie Motor Club in Valley City. He belonged to St. Bernard’s Catholic Church until it’s closing, and his membership transferred to St. Catherine in Valley City.

Bill is survived by his wife, Darlene; son, William J. “Billy” (Michele) Trader of Grand Forks, ND; daughter, Deborah “Deb” (Terry) Olauson of West Fargo, ND; grandchildren, Jennifer Trader, Terrah (Evan) Lang, and Matthew Trader; and a great grandson, Theo Lang. His brother, Keith of Fargo, ND; sister, Sandra Cruff of Kindred, ND; brothers-in-law, Donald (Susan) Heinze of Hendersonville, TN and Robin Odegaard of Peoria, AZ; and many nieces and nephews also survive.

He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents as well as a brother-in-law, Gary Cruff and sister-in-law, Rosemary Odegaard.