Eugene "Gene" McManigle

Gene McManigle, age 80, of Fort Ransom, ND, passed away on May 9, 2024, at Sanford Medical Center, Fargo, ND, surrounded by his family.
Eugene Dale McManigle was born on October 23, 1943, in Breckenridge, MN, to Wallace and Lorraine (Zuech) McManigle, the second of 15 children. Gene grew up in the Colfax, ND, area, working on the family farm and for neighbors. Fate brought him to the Fort Ransom area in early adulthood where he made lifelong friends, married, and built a family and life.
He met Jean Helen Kornelius and they married on September 12, 1964, making their home initially in the Fort Ransom area. In 1966, the couple moved to Seattle, WA, where Gene was an equipment operator at SeaTac Airport and worked for a freight forwarding company. In 1971, they moved back to Fort Ransom and began farming on Jean's family farm where they would remain for the next 53 years. During this time, their daughters Sara Lea and Amy Jo were born.
Gene had a strong work ethic, saying that as a child all he wanted was to drive a tractor. And drive a tractor he did... and trucks, combines, various heavy equipment, and a "blade" for 20+ years for Ransom County. Work was his hobby even after retirement - mowing roadsides and a cemetery, helping with a neighbor's harvest, and continuing to blade roads for a local gravel company. He also helped in the community on the volunteer fire department, Sportsmen's Club, and driving shuttle during SVACA's fall festival.
Aside from work, Gene did have other interests. Early in life, he, and great friend Donnie Tommeraus, worked livestock at rodeos. He bowled and played pool on local teams, and later in life he loved setting up coffee each morning for his friends for morning pinochle sessions. He and Jean also enjoyed trips to the casino with her sister and brother-in-law, children, or friends.
Gene was a dedicated father who was always ready to help Sara and Amy, and later, their own loved ones. He gained a son when Sara met Warren Danielson, Jr., and he considered him one of his own. From helping them learn to ski by pulling them up the bunny hill when the tow rope was too heavy, to flying on a plane for the first time to visit Amy in Arizona, he put himself out there. Mechanically inclined, he was often fixing their vehicles and lawn mowers when they were adults. Projects with dad will give the family stories to share for years.
The stories will be a fitting tribute as Gene was known for having a great memory and a love for sharing. From one-liners that he told nurses right up to the end, to local information like who owned which field 60 years ago and how that person was related to someone in another town, Gene was a living history book.
In 2017, Gene became a grandfather. It was a role he lived for, spending time with his grandson Teddy whenever he could, choosing gifts and setting aside others for the future, and planning outings together. He and his "lil fella" or "Johnny" had a special bond. That love extended also to his kids' pets, often caring for the dogs like "grands".
Gene's life was large, and the hole his passing leaves will be felt by many. He will be mourned by: his wife of 59 years, Jean; his daughter Amy, daughter Sara (Warren) and their son Theodore Jene; his siblings Mary Ann (Phil) Greenwaldt, Walter (Aggie) McManigle, Beverly McManigle, Wallace Jr. (Linda) McManigle, Nancy (Johnny) Schwartz, James (Jackie) McManigle, Debra (Dennis) Malone, Ron (Rose) McManigle, Donna (Danny) Schmitz, Ricky McManigle, and Curtis McManigle; brothers- and sisters-in law Maree Lou Larson, LeRoy (Donna) Kornelius, Carol Haarsager, Elaine (Dennis) Wadeson, Herb Christensen, and Penny McManigle; many nieces and nephews, and a host of friends and neighbors.
Gene is preceded in death by his parents Wallace and Lorraine; siblings Larry McManigle, Betty McManigle, and Bruce McManigle; brothers-in-law Elroy Haarsager and Douglas Larson, and nephews Jesse McManigle and Lannie Kornelius.
Visitation will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Dahlstrom Funeral Home in Lisbon. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. at Standing Rock Lutheran Church in Fort Ransom. Burial will be at Northland Cemetery near Fort Ransom. Gene's service will be live streamed.