Maynerd Soma, 76, Kiester

Published 12:00 am Friday, January 5, 2007

Maynerd B. Soma, age 76, of Kiester, died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2007, at Good Samaritan Center in Albert Lea, after a short battle with cancer.

Funeral services were at 10 a.m. Saturday at Our Savior&8217;s Lutheran Church in Kiester.

Visitation was Friday at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells and one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. The Rev. Dick Steffen officiated. Interment was in the Our Savior&8217;s Lutheran Cemetery in Kiester.

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Maynerd Burton Soma was born June 9, 1930, in Mansfield Township, Freeborn County; the son of Tosten (Tom) and Olga (Oswald) Soma. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. He married Joanne Mikkalson on June. 18, 1950, at the South Blue Earth Lutheran Church in Seeley Township.

Maynerd worked for many years at Kinkade and Godfrey Construction as a heavy equipment operator and mechanic.

In 1961 he began dairy and crop farming in rural Bricelyn. In 1972 they moved to Kiester and began Soma Construction, doing trucking and gravel contracting. Following Joanne’s death in 1985 he worked for Ulland Brothers Construction and Lovell Brothers Contracting.

As a member of Our Savior&8217;s Lutheran Church he served on the church council, cemetery board, and call committees.

He was an accomplished horseman and was an active member in the Kee Valley Saddle Club.

Watching rodeo events on television was especially enjoyable for him.

While living on the farm he broke horses and roped calves, which provided his family with hours of entertainment.

He was also a 4-H club horse leader.

After moving to Kiester he became actively involved in the volunteer fire department.

He was an enthusiastic deer, prairie dog, turkey, goose, and duck hunter even as his health declined.

He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge and Zurah Shrine Temple. He found great joy and pride in his family and was a wise and loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Maynerd is survived by his two daughters and sons-in-law:

Elizabeth and Rodger Tveiten of Kanawha, Iowa, and Mary Jo and Donnie Hill of Ellsworth, Wis.; one son and daughter-in-law Brad and Carol Soma of Kiester; grandchildren: John (Amy) Tveiten, Katherine Tveiten, Lisa (Luke) Fenton, Sina and Anna Hill, Christine and Michael Soma; great- grandchildren: Ava and Annika Tveiten and Anissa Cole. One brother, Stewart, survives as well as his special friend, Marilyn Beck, and in-laws, Connie Krahmer and John and Dale Mikkalson, and many nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Joanne and one sister Thelma Janssen, sister-in-law: Ardeen Soma and brother-in-law: Bob Janssen, and one infant niece.