Gale Russell Birdsall, 1918-2003

BIRDSALL, RINGBLOOM, RAMSEY, LORENZEN, IHRY, WATT, BURNS, KIRLIN

Posted By: Sharon K Hesebeck (email)
Date: 12/2/2012 at 15:41:56

Gale Russell Birdsall
January 14, 1918-March 4, 2003

Services in memory of Gale Russell Birdsall were conducted at 10:30 am, Saturday, March 8, 2003, at the United Methodist Church in Everly, Iowa. Rev. Karen Larson officiated.

Casket Bearers were his grandsons; Tracy Birdsall, Ryan Burns, Jon Burns, Adam Burns, Drew Birdsall, Barrett Dodd, Jason Watt, Brad Bateman, Greg Birdsall, Ty Birdsall and Justin Laub.

Honorary Casket Bearers; Ray Koehnk, Don Nielson, Fred Mirfitt, Bob Burns, Jim Fanning, Willie Hartmann and Ken Bailey.

Interment was in Lone Tree Cemetery, Everly. Warner Funeral Home of Spencer was in charge of the arrangements.

Gale Russell Birdsall, the son of Roy and Mabel (Ringbloom) Birdsall, was born January 14, 1918, in Webb, Iowa. His childhood years were spent in Greenville where he received his early education. He graduated from Greenville School in 1935. During his senior year in high school, he was voted the finest athlete in the Clay County basketball tournament. He attended Iowa State University for one year before returning to Greenville to farm with his father until the family moved in 1937 to Moneta, Iowa, where they owned operated the Moneta General Store while continuing to farm.

On February 25, 1940, Gale was married to Jessie Ramsey in Moneta where they lived and contiued to work in the family business until they moved to Inglewood, California in 1942, where Gale worked for North American Aircraft. They returned to Moneta to farm and started the locker plant. In 1951, they opened a locker plant in Everly, Iowa and moved there in 1952, where they owned and operated the locker until 1980.

During his life, Gale was very involved in many church and civic activties. He was Chairman of the church finance committee, Chairman of the Commercial Club, was a member of he Lions Club, served on the Town Councill, Centennial Chairman, and was Mayor of Everly for four years. He coached Little League baseball, served on the Board of Directors for both the Spencer Golf and Country Club and Meadowbrook Golf and Country Club of Hartley, where he was a tireless volunteer and avid golfer. Gale officiated basketball, football and baseball for 33 years on the local and state levels, and was honored by the Northwest Iowa Coaches and Officials Association for "Outstanding contributions to high school athletics."

Gale and Jessie loved to dance and received many awards and trophies that included a trip to Peony Park in Omaha, Nebraska, for the Midwestern States Dance Contest, which they won. Gale enjoyed fishing with his grandchildren, playing cards, gardening, telling and listening to stories, and spending time with his family and friends.

Gale passed away at the Spencer Hospital on Tuesday, March 4, 2003, the age of 85. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Robert; one sister, Dorothy; three brother-in-law; Rod Lorenzen, Alvin Ramsey and Ray Ihry; one sister-in-law, Betty Ihry.

He is survived by his wife, Jessie of Everly; two sons; Jerry and his wife, Bonnie of Apache Junction, Arizona, and Jay and his wife Shelly of Lake Park, Iowa; two daughters; Jacque Watt and her husband, Tom of Waterloo, Iowa, and Julee Burns and her husband, Dennis of Hartley, Iowa; 14 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; one brother, Bill and his wife, Julee of Provo, Utah; one sister Shirley Lorenzen of San Antonio, Texas; one sister-in-law, Elma Birdsall of Soquel, California; one brother-in-law, Cark Kirlin and his wife, Phyllis of Mesa, Arizona; as well as other relatives and many friends.

Hartley Sentinel
Spencer Daily Reporter 3/8/2003

Interment in Lone Tree cemetery
 

Clay Obituaries maintained by Kris Meyer.
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