Kenneth Mann

Kenneth Mann

DICKINSON - Kenneth P. Mann, 93, Dickinson, died May 1, 2007, at St. Joseph's Hospital and Health Center, Dickinson. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. MDT Saturday, May 5, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Dickinson, with the Rev. Claude Seeberger, OSB as the celebrant. Interment will be in Dickinson Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. MDT Friday at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, where a vigil begins at 7 p.m. MDT with Deacon Ron Keller presiding.

"Smile and the world smiles with you; sing a song." That song title typifies Kenny Mann, born Sept. 27, 1913, in Hebron. He claimed to have been born singing and seldom stopped singing until his death on May 1, 2007, at age 93 in St. Joseph's Hospital.

Both sets of Ken's grandparents were North Dakota pioneers; John and Minnie (Funk) Urban came to Hebron with the Deutche Evangeliche colony founders of nationally registered St. John's Church. The family businesses, Urban Mercantile and Urban Implement, were Hebron fixtures until recent years. On the Mann family side, his grandfather, W.H. and Anna Mann came from Germany in 1883 to New Salem, where he was a carpenter, had a mercantile store and creamery, founded the Riverport Mannhaven on the Missouri River near the present Garrison Dam, and was an early North Dakota Railroad commissioner.

Until he started school, Ken knew only the German language. He was very proud of that German heritage. Kenny's parents were Paul W. and Hattie (Urban) Mann. By the time he was 4 years old, Ken knew the license number of every car in town. His memory for numbers continued through his life. Although Ken's schooling began in Hebron, in 1925, the family moved to Dickinson where he had lived ever since. He graduated from Dickinson Public Schools and attended Dickinson State College. With the help of his father and brothers, in 1943, Ken founded and managed Mann's Automotive Supply which expanded throughout western North Dakota, a business that was sold to its employees in 1985. The motto of his business was "The House of Service," a motto that he lived. Ken also was a founder of Automotive Northern Warehouse in Minneapolis. Always a strong community supporter and mentor of talented business-people, Ken continued during his retirement to promote Southwestern North Dakota causes. An Elks member for 68 years, Kenny still met each week with his Sodbuster friends for Saturday lunch at the Elks. In addition, he was a faithful Rotarian for 50-plus years, and continued to help lead the singing when he could attend. Up until the end of his life, he drove his Cadillac to sing weekly with a singing group at Dickinson nursing homes and he was a fixture in the front left row of St. Patrick's Church every Sunday morning at 10 o'clock mass.

An early highlight of Ken's life was being chosen to attend the International Interlochen Music Camp in Michigan in 1931. There he played clarinet under the direction of the famed band leader, John Phillip Sousa. He later played with the Dickinson City Band when weekly summer concerts were presented on the Stark County Court House plaza with soloists such as vocalist Marjorie Stickney Nachtwey and violinist Christine Messersmith. He enjoyed Barbershop singing and was a founder and promoter of the Badlander singing group.

Kenny had enthusiastically served the Dickinson community as a member of the school board, president of the Dickinson Chamber of Commerce in 1955 when the Chamber was honored nationally, finance chairman for St. John's ECLA Church in the late 1940's, Community Concerts board, chairman of the Centennial Celebration of Dickinson in 1982, and member of the Liberty (later Norwest) Bank Board. He also lent his time, talent and resources to the Boy Scouts, St. Benedict's Home, Badlands Ministries, Dickinson Catholic and Public Schools, Home on the Range, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Business Challenge and Republican Party.

Some of the honors Kenny received were GNDA North Dakotan award in 1982, Boy Scout Silver Beaver, Big Chief (Outstanding Alumnus) from Dickinson State, Heritage Days honoree and American Legion Baseball honoree - he played shortstop on the first Legion team in 1931. An active Elk, he held all the local offices as well as the national office of Grand Tiler.

Kenny married the love of his life, Mary Wherley, in 1937. She was a true partner and supporter of all his many activities. The two of them were honored in October 2006 with the Outstanding Philanthropist Award of the West River North Dakota Coalition of Charitable Organizations.

Surviving Ken are his wife, Mary; one brother, Richard W. (Dorothy) Mann, Granville, Ohio; three daughters, Pat Grantier, Bismarck, Shirley (Roger) Gilles, Redmond, Ore., and Mary June (Rod) Gaffrey, Dickinson; his grandchildren, Virginia Grantier, Bismarck, Ken (Beata) Grantier, Bemidji, Minn., Dan (Kim) Grantier, Roslyn, Wash., Renee' (Bill) Moseley, Bend, Ore., Aaron Gaffrey, Dickinson, Nathan Gaffrey, Aurora, Colo., Charmaine Gaffrey (fiance Jason), Dexter, Ore., Matthew Gaffrey, Beresford, S.D., Sarah (Aaron) Bunnell, Mandan, and Tyler Nelson, San Francisco; and his great-grandchildren, Lauren Sugihara, Denver, Patricia Sugihara, Los Angeles, Maya, Tessa and Josina Grantier, Bemidji, Minn., Erika and Clara Grantier, Roslyn, Wash., Isabella, Marie Noelle and Roselyn Moseley, Bend, Ore., and Brayden and Treyton Bunnell, Mandan.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Fred and Paul Mann; one daughter, Paulette; one grandson, John Gilles; and one great-grandson, Kenyan Grantier.

His family wishes to thank all the members of the Dickinson community who reached out with support to Kenny. Your respect and care enabled him to continue to fight to live independently despite many physical challenges in later years. Your efforts are recognized and appreciated.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to a local charity of the donor's choice. (www.ladburyfuneralservice.com)