Thomas GABBY

GABBY, HOLSTAD, FULTZ, RAGER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/30/2010 at 20:28:34

Bemidji Pioneer, Minnesota
10 December 2008

Thomas Gabby, 91, of Bagley, Minnesota died Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, at McIntosh Manor Nursing Home in McIntosh, Minn. The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Faith Hill Assembly Of God Church in Bagley with Rev. Gary Fry officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in the Bagley City Cemetery. The Cease Family Funeral Home of Bagley assisted the family with arrangements.

He was born on June 5, 1917, to Truman and Jenny Gabby in Clarksville, Iowa. He grew up in Lake Mills, Iowa, and graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1935. He married Verone Holstad on July 3, 1938, in Forest City, Iowa. They lived in Rosemount, Minn., Kimbalton, Iowa, Renwick, Iowa, and Halstad, Minn. before moving to Bagley in June 1954. He worked for the Bagley Public Utilities from 1954 until he retired in 1976. He was a volunteer fireman in Bagley for about 20 years. He was also a member of the local planning and zoning board for several years. He and his wife were residents and caretakers of Otterkill Garden Apartments for 13 years. Religion was very important to him and he served on various church boards and was a board member of World Wide Ministries. He directed the Northern Clothing Outreach for World Wide Ministries. The program involved making several winter trips to northern Manitoba, Canada, to deliver truckloads of clothing to Indian reservations. Ministering to the Indian people was an important part of these trips. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and spending time with family and friends at their cabin on Upper Red Lake. He volunteered as a Senior Companion and over the years was involved with the local senior center and the Sportsman Club. He was a member of Faith Hill Assembly Of God Church in Bagley.

He is survived by his son, Vincent Gabby of Grand Forks, N.D.; daughters, Louise Fultz of Bagley and Laurel Rager of Midland, Ohio; seven grandsons; seven great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren; sister, Rachel of Camano Island, Wash.; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; brother, Albert; and sister, Valois.