Manly BIONDAHL

BIONDAHL, GORDON, GORDEN, JENKINS, TOMLINSON, COLTVET, ELLEFSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:46

16 April 1914 --- 19 March 2005

Manly Biondahl, 90, of Thor, died on Saturday, March 19, 2005, at the Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge with his four children and one sister, Betty Lou, present. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Tues, March 22, 2005 at the Foust Funeral Home. A family visitation will be held from 4-5 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, March 23, 2005, at 1:30 p.m. at the Ullensvang Lutheran Church in Thor. Burial will follow at the East Ullensvang Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Manly Biondahl was born on April 16, 1914 in Humboldt County, the son of Pauline and Joseph Biondahl. Manly lost his father at a very young age and his mother remarried Sam Gordon. They had a son and five daughters. Manly attended country school in Humboldt County and went on to receive training and education to become a machinist and welder. On July 11, 1935, he married Margaret Jenkins in Bethany, Missouri. In 1939 he opened his own business. In 1940 he moved his family and business. Manly Manufacturing, to Thor. Later Joe, his son, joined his father in the business until it closed in 2001. His business provided skilled welding services and portable welding services for area farmers for 62 years. He also built his own trailers and flatbeds and in the later years was one of the biggest Parker wagon dealers in the state of Iowa. He received many awards and much recognition from Parker. Manly Manufacturing was the only manufacturing company that Thor has ever had.

Manly and Margaret had four children. He was the fire chief for the Thor Fire Department, was a member of the Thor City Council, and the water department, and the Thor Lutheran Church. He had his own pilot's license and dearly loved to fly. He and Margaret were parade marshals for the Thor Centennial in 1981. For the last 20 months of his life he resided at the Bickford Cottage in Fort Dodge where he led an active and wonderful life. He was respected and much loved there by the directors and had many friends there who will greatly miss him. Manly and Margaret were devoted to their family and in the years following Margaret's death. Manly continued to be devoted and intensely interested in the lives of his children and grandchildren Manly was able to attend many weddings of his grandchildren in the last 12 years and danced at every one of them. At his last residence, Bickford Cottage, he amazed everyone by walking at least two miles a day. Manly loved the town of Thor and was proud to have called Thor "home." Manly was a kind and gentle spirit, a hard worker, a good friend, a devoted parent, and grandparent, and will be greatly missed by all who knew him and loved him.

He is survived by his four children: Pauline and her husband, Tom Tomlinson, of Port Byron, Illinois; Joe Biondahl and his wife, Sheryl, of Thor; Sharon Coltvet and her husband, Tony, of Eagle Grove, and Joan Jenkins of Sioux City; 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren, sisters Betty Lou, Bernice, and June; and special life-long friends Helen Coltvet, of Eagle Grove, and Sid Ellefson, of Algona. The Foust Funeral Home of Eagle Grove is in charge of the arrangements.

Eagle Grove Eagle --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
March 23, 2005