Boman, Gerald Emanuel (1935-2018)

BOMAN, STEIFF, HANSON, WALDEMAR, COE, MESSER

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 7/26/2018 at 09:30:25

Gerald Emanuel Boman
November 2, 1935 - June 20, 2018

Gerald E. Boman, 82, passed away on June 20, 2018, in Palm City, Florida, where he and his wife, Mary Jo Boman, maintained a residence for nearly thirty years. Although they lived in Florida, they always considered Forest City, Iowa, as their home.

A son of Harold Emanuel and Emma Louise Steiff Boman, Gerald was born in Forest City on November 2, 1935. He grew up on the family farm west of town and graduated from Forest City High School. Following graduation, Mr. Boman attended Waldorf College.

At age 17 while in high school, Mr. Boman purchased his own farm south and west of the home place. On November 23, 1955, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Jo Hanson. Beginning their life together, they farmed from 1952 until 1959.

In the summer of 1959, Mr. Boman joined his father-in-law, John K Hanson, in starting Winnebago Industries. Thus began an adventurous forty-five-year career in which he played a key role in the company’s formation and success. Beginning in production, he became Production Manager in 1960, Vice-President of Manufacturing and Board of Directors in 1962, and then in 1975 became Chairman of the Executive Committee, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors. In 1977, Mr. Boman became Senior Vice-President and remained an active member of the Board of Directors until he retired in 2010.

During Mr. Boman’s tenure, Winnebago Industries exploded onto the national scene. For him a most memorable experience, he, personally, took part in the company’s initial offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Although motor homes and travel trailers remained the company’s primary focus, Mr. Boman found himself pursuing several unique production challenges: a flying helicopter camper, grain trailers, modular housing, and people-moving trams for Universal Studios. In addition to his other achievements, Mr. Boman, together with Chuck Fenn, co-founded the Winnebago International Travelers Club (now Winnebago Itasca Travelers Club) in the early 1970s. As an invitation to all to get on the Winnebago band wagon, he, always, parked his motorhome at the top of the River Oaks Amphitheatre for each Grand National Rally- making it a visual welcoming symbol.

Mr. Boman found one of his greatest joys in life in flying. Having earned his private pilot’s license at age 16, he functioned as the first corporate pilot for Winnebago Industries. In addition, as a life-long member of the North Iowa Flying Club, he served as Chairman of the Forest City Airport Commission.

Throughout his career, Mr. Boman held several leadership positions including that of Chairman and Board member of the Iowa Manufacturer’s Association Board. In addition, he served on the Board of Regents for Bethel University (St Paul, Minnesota), the Southern Baptist Annuity Board, and as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, and trustee in his home church, the First Baptist of Forest City, Iowa. He loved singing- and did so throughout his life. His choral memberships included the First Baptist Church Choir, the Waldorf College Choir, and the Forest City Community Choir as well as the choirs of the Palm City Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church, Stuart.

Mr. Boman’s love of God and others led him to embrace many ministries in Mexico, Fiji, Burkina Faso, Cuba, and the US (to name a few). Most recently, he had focused his ministry on his partnership with Compassion International, Gideons International, and the Pine Lake Christian Camp (Eldora, Iowa). In partnership with his wife, he, staunchly, supported of his local alma mater, Waldorf University. Indeed, in 2015, the couple received Waldorf’s C.S. Salveson Award “for exceptional leadership and performance that has resulted in important and significant contributions to the mission of Waldorf University.”

A sincere student of the Bible, Mr. Boman, regular, attended various Bible study groups. His many other activities included sport fishing on his boat, “Triple Threat,” participating in antique tractor rides with the Heritage Park tractor group, dinning with the Forest City Thursday night dinner club, taking recreational motorcycle rides and extended motorcycle rides along the west coast and to Alaska, traveling globally (including to Antarctica), and spending time with his family near Denver, Colorado, and Seattle, Washington.

Mr. Boman was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Emma Boman, of Forest City; and a sister, Gretchen Ann (Lowell) Boman Waldemar, of Hesperia, California; as well as byh many aunts and uncles. He is survived by his wife of sixty-two years, Mary Jo Boman; a daughter, Janet (Rob) Coe, of Mukilteo, Washington; a son, Greg (Becky), of Castle Rock, Colorado, a sister, Sue (John) Messer, of Littleton, Colorado; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren; as well as by nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for Mr. Boman will held Monday, July 2, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church, Forest City, Iowa. A gathering of friends and family will assemble on July 1, 2018, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Cataldo-Schott Funeral Chapel, 505 North Clark Street, Forest City.

Memorial Gifts may be sent in Mr. Boman’s name to Compassion International, Gideons International, or the Pine Lake Christian Camp, Eldora, Iowa.

Cataldo Schott Funeral Home, Forest City, Iowa, 2018.

Winnebago Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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