Gully - George Ness, 88, died on Sunday, December 28, 1997 at Northwest Medical Center in Thief River Falls.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 12, 1998 at 10 a.m. at the Lund Lutheran Church in Gully with the Reverend Bob Kelly officiating. Interment will be at the Lund Lutheran Cemetery in Gully.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, January 11 at the Cease Family Funeral Home in Bagley and for one hour prior to services at the church on Monday.
George Ness was born on December 13, 1909 in rural Gully, the son of Anfind and Brita Ness. He was baptized and confirmed in Gully. He attended school north of Gully and at the A.C. in Crookston for one year.
On November 7, 1931 he was united in marriage to Lilly Vera Austin at Gully. The couple lived north of Gully until 1979 when they moved into the town of Gully. George and Lilly had been married for 62 years when Lilly died on July 21, 1993.
George loved nature and taught his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to appreciate the animals, the trees, the sun, the moon and the stars. George lived to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his father's homestead north of Gully, and this past fall a dream came true when he got to drive his father's COD tractor which had been refurbished to look and run like new. When he was nine years old, George ran half-way to Gully to meet his brother Ted so he could drive that tractor the rest of the way home to the farm.
He is survived by one son, William (Henrietta) Ness of Thief River Falls; one daughter, Norma (Orven) Mandt of Bloomington; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Gertrude Nepper of Thief River Falls and Clara LaVoi of Fosston.
In addition to his wife, George was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Glen; one daughter, Janice; one granddaughter, Debra Mandt; four brothers, Edwin, Ted, Elmer and Boyd; and two sisters, Louise and Amanda.