May 14, 1920 - April 4, 2006
WILLMAR -- Vernon Louis Manley Sr., 85, of Willmar, died Tuesday at Bethesda Pleasant View Nursing Home in Willmar.
The service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Willmar. Burial will be at Fairview Cemetery. Military honors will be provided by American Legion Post 167 and V.F.W. Post 1639, both of Willmar.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Memorials are preferred to Rice Hospice.
He was born May 14, 1920, in Pipestone to Edward and Katherine (Birch) Manley. The family moved to the Pennock area, where he grew up and attended school.
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He married Ella G. Ruter on March 24, 1943, in El Paso, Texas. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II and was stationed in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. He worked as a switchman/brakeman for the Great Northern Railroad for a few years. They bought a farm in St. John's Township in 1948. They owned and operated the Cinder Ella shoe store in Willmar and later operated the Sibley State Park store for six years, during the 1980s. They sold their farm in 1988 and moved to Willmar. He worked at Jennie-O-Foods, at Manley Motors, and at Mills Auto Center. They were foster parents for more than 25 years.
He was a member of First Baptist Church, the V.F.W. post and the American Legion post.
He is survived by his children: Dennis (and Denise) Manley of Winnet, Mont., Vernon Jr. (and Sharon) Manley of Willmar, Connie (and David) Niemeyer of Willmar; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and siblings: James Manley of Murdock, Robert (and Betty) Manley of Longville, and Ruth Manley of Atwater.
He was preceded in death by his wife in 2003; four brothers and four sisters.
