Jesse Miller TOMLINSON

TOMLINSON, WEAVER, COOPER, DAHL, MILLER, JOHNSON, THOMPSON, MERFELD, GALLION, GATES, TWEETEN, LOFFREDO, BEEK, BENNIGER, LEKIE, KUHN, BRIM

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/26/2010 at 10:15:09

MANLY, IA - Jesse Miller Tomlinson, 96, of Manly, died Monday (Jan. 25, 2010) at his home. A funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 428 W. Walnut St. in Manly, with Pastor Linda Johnson Prestholt officiating. Cremation will take place after the funeral service and an inurnment will be held at a later date. Visitation will be held from 4 t0 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, at the Bride Colonial Chapel, 101 E. Spring St., Manly, and also one hour prior to the funeral at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

Jesse was born on a homestead near Cadogan, Alberta, Canada, on Oct. 29, 1913, the son of Ralph and Malinda (Weaver) Tomlinson. His family had homesteaded into Canada in 1912 from Belmond, Iowa. In 1914, they returned to Belmond where Jesse attended country schools until graduating from eighth grade. He graduated from Chapin High School in 1931. After that, his parents had moved to a farm east of Manly and were working for Philip Strand, where he also worked for a time. He continued to work at farm labor for many farmers in the Manly area. Jesse married Gail Cooper on July 28, 1937, and in 1938 they went to work for Charles and Edna Dahl. He started farming on shares with Charles Dahl in 1941 on the Chas Bonker farm and has lived in the Manly area for 80 years. They lived on an acreage they bought from Edna Dahl in 1975. Jesse had been active in many different organizations. He was president of the Manly School PTA, president of the Manly Telephone Company at the time it was sold to Northwestern Bell and director on the Worth County Fair Board for 20 years. He was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church where he had served on the church council and was superintendent of the Sunday school for many years. He was also a member of the memorial committee. Jesse was also a past Farmer of the Year during the Manly Railroad and Ag Days. He enjoyed his many years of farming and livestock raising. He also loved to read, especially westerns, and birdwatch. He also loved his family and spending time with them.

Jesse is survived by his wife, Gail, of Manly; children Patricia Miller, of Spencer, Wis., Marcia (Robert) Johnson, of Eldridge, Gary (Mary) Tomlinson, of Manly, Linda (Joe) Thompson, of Manly and Debra (John) Merfeld, of Columbus, Wis.; grandchildren, David (Karen) Gallion, Steve (Natalie) Gallion, Terry (Cheryl) Gallion, Tim (Wendy) Gallion, Kimberly (Tony) Gates, Rodney (Kristi) Johnson, Mark (Tracy) Tomlinson, Julie (Brian) Tweeten, Lisa (Mark) Loffredo, Lori (Chris) Loffredo, Scott (Robin) Tomlinson, Brad (Grace) Beek, Jeff (Jaime) Merfeld, Kendra (Andrew) Benniger, Jesse (Carissa) Merfeld; stepgrandchildren, Jim (Deb) Miller, Scott (Tammi) Miller, Penny Lekie, and Nicole (James) Kuhn; 37 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild; his brother-in-law, Harold (Lois) Cooper; and his sister-in-law, Lila Brim. He was preceded in death by his parents, his mother and father-in-law, two brothers, Harley and Joe, his sister, Adah; grandchildren, Katrina Merfeld and Michael Tomlinson; two sons-in-law, Duwayne Gallion and John "Buck" Miller;and numerous brothers and sisters-in-law. Bride Colonial Chapel.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
January 26, 2010