MAL MINSHALL

Mal Minshall, age 89 of Sidney, NE passed away Wednesday, January 4, 2017 at the Sidney Care and Rehabilitation Center. Funeral services will be at 11:00 A.M., Friday, January 13th in the First United Methodist Church with Pastor Corey Jenkins officiating. Services will conclude at the church with cremation to follow. Inurnment will be in the Greenwood Cemetery at a later date. Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel on Thursday from 1-7:00 P.M. You may view Mal’s Book of Memories, leave condolences, photos and stories at www.gehrigstittchapel.com. Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC is in charge of Mal’s care and funeral arrangements.
Malvin McKinley Minshall, the eldest son of Henry William and Violet Neuwanda (Gregory) Minshall, was born on July 3, 1927 at Sidney. He was raised in Sidney, attended the Sidney Public Schools and met his wife Shirley Seyfang while delivering soda to her parent’s grocery store in Potter. They were united in marriage on February 29, 1948 at Shirley’s parent’s home in Potter. They made their first home in Sterling, Colorado where son Jason was born on December 1, 1948. Following a move to Sidney, daughter Yvonne was born on Feb 18, 1950. They moved into their present home when their daughter Sylvia joined the family on September 18, 1952. Their daughter Kim was born May 4, 1956, before Mal began working as Commonwealth Trailer Sales’ service man which led to starting his own business in mobile home and travel trailer service and repair and opening Mal’s Mobile Home Service east of town on Highway 30. In 1985, he began working for the City of Sidney as its Handi-Bus Driver and was always there with a smile to greet his passengers until he retired May 28, 1993. Mal continued working and specialized his mobile home work in the HVAC installation and repair, working from the family home and travelling around the western panhandle keeping his customers warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
In 1960 Mal and Shirley attended an adult square dancing class which led to a successful and enjoyable hobby/career as a professional Square Dance Caller, calling dances locally, from coast to coast and harbor to harbor. They would head out to their square dances when Mal would get home from work and for over 50 years enjoyed meeting new people and “just having fun” as Mal would say. Mal has written and recorded numerous square dances, called at national conventions and written several articles on dancing and calling for square dance magazines. On September 18, 2010, Mal and Shirley were inducted into the Nebraska Square & Round Dance Callers Association Hall of Fame for their outstanding and lasting contributions to Square Dancing.
Mal has been Worshipful Master for more than one term of the Sidney, Alliance, Oshkosh, Lodgepole and Chappell Masonic Lodges and was also a member in good standing of Eastern Star.
Survivors include his son: Jason Minshall of Sidney; (2) daughters: Sylvia Minshall-Dyer of Dublin, OH and Kim Hudson of Tucson, AZ, currently residing at the family home; (1) Sister: Connie Bules of Sidney, brother James Minshall of Sidney, (8) grandchildren; (15) great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members.
Malvin was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Shirley on December 27, 2013, and (1) daughter Yvonne Lippstrew on March 9, 1979.