George N. Leither, 96, Sartell

March 24, 1925 - October 11, 2021

George N. Leither of Sartell died at age 96 on Monday, October 11th at Country Manor Assisted Living in Sartell.

An electrician by trade, the man was grounded. His yard was always mowed. The sidewalk always plowed. His dock was always in at the right time and out at the right time. Every task was always well done. He rarely drank. He grilled turkeys on holidays. The phrase “work ethic” could have been coined to describe him. He went to church. He had unshakable faith. He never met a potato he didn’t like. And he didn’t swear. Well, he swore, but he was a Minnesotan, after all, and mosquitoes can do that to the best of us.

George Leither, a Navy veteran, served in the South Pacific in World War II. He was a man of stoic self-control, so making him laugh was a truly delightful experience. He wasn’t the man to tell you how much he loved you, but he loved much. Born on March 24th, 1925, he went on to marry the love of his life, Marilyn Swindal, on June 2nd, 1951. Anyone who knew him knows that his death comes with the blessing of being reunited somehow, somewhere with Marilyn.

George was born to Nicholas and Margaret Leither, and had six siblings—Dorothy, Gerald, Robert, Edwin, Joseph, and Louella. He and Marilyn had a son, Thomas Leither (married to Dede) and a daughter, Mary Margaret Leither. His grandchildren, Nicholas (married to Rosa), Luke (married to Lindsay), and Maxwell (married to Anna) brought George great joy in his last years with six great-grandchildren—Itasca, River, Elinor, Leonardo, Aurelia, and Eliza.

George died at age 96 on Monday, October 11th at Country Manor Assisted Living in Sartell. He will be buried next to Marilyn at Assumption Cemetery, with arrangements entrusted to the William Dingman Funeral Home in St. Cloud.