Gene Mann

Guy “Gene” Mann, age 90, of Milbank, SD, died November 28, 2018 at the Milbank Avera Hospital, Milbank, SD.

Services for Gene are scheduled for Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Living Word Lutheran Church, Milbank, SD. Rev. Kent Groethe is officiating. Judy Sprung will be the organist and Jacob Ebsen will be the soloist. Visitation will be at Mundwiler Funeral Home on Monday, December 3, 2018 from 5-7PM and continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will take place in the Milbank City Cemetery.

The son of Guy and Lola (Messerole) Mann, Gene was born on February 2, 1928, in his family home in Raymond, South Dakota. He attended Logan Country Consolidated School where he graduated from high school in 1946. He then served in the US Army Air Corp for three years.

On January 8, 1950, Gene was united in marriage with Cleo Anderson. Gene and Cleo were blessed with four children: Janeen, Randy, Steven and Jeff.

For four years after their marriage, Gene farmed on the family farm near Clark, SD before moving to Watertown where he first worked for the Hubbard Motor Company. He then worked for Fleet Wholesale in Watertown, and in 1956, was transferred to Milbank to manage their new store. Gene later purchased the Firestone store in Milbank and operated that until his first retirement. He then worked part-time selling monuments for Rausch Brothers and part-time at Twin Valley Tire before retiring again at the age of 87.

Gene was very active in community service. He served 10 years on the Milbank City Council and 23 years as a Grant County Commissioner. Upon his retirement from the Grant County Commission, Governor Daugaard declared December 16, 2014, as Gene Mann Day in the State of South Dakota, honoring him for his 33 years of combined civic service. Gene was also very active in his younger years on various boards and councils in his church.

Gene is survived by his wife of nearly 69 years, Cleo; as well as his daughter, Janeen Ingber (Gary); sons: Randy (Peg) and Steven (Kim); and daughter-in-law, Sheryl Mann. He is also survived by his nine grandchildren: Travis Ingber (Cheryl), Jessica McIntosh (Greg), Brad Mann (Allison), Daniel Mann (Kim), Ashley Fliflet (Justin Riveland), Alex Mann, Aubree Mann, Noah Mann, and Marissa Webb (Derek); as well as, eleven great-grandchildren. Gene also is survived by his two brothers: Jim and Jerry, as well as, many extended family members.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Jeff.