Eino D Maninga

Eino Maninga, a resident of Menahga, MN, passed away peacefully on April 23, 2023, in Menahga, MN.  Eino was born on October 24, 1926, in Menahga to Erick and Annie (Kummala) Maninga.  He grew up on the family farm.  As a youth, during summers, he worked in the Dakota's harvest fields and spent three summers iron mining at Pacific Isle, Buhl, MN.

Eino attended rural school district 63 Green Valley and graduated in 1945 from Menahga High School. In 1946, he enrolled in the Minneapolis School of Business and graduated as a Junior Accountant, accepting a position at the Cream of Wheat Corporation in St. Paul.  In 1949, Eino enrolled in teaching, training at Park Rapids, MN, and continued his college education at Bemidji State University where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, and later received his Master’s Degree in Administration.  In 1974-76 he was hired by New South Wales, Australia teaching in the Sydney area and received an honorary teacher certificate enabling him to teach in all British territories. 

In 1948 Eino organized the Midway Baseball Club entering the Lake and Pine League.  As a youth, Eino played baseball for Menahga, Wolf Lake and Midway.  In 1952 he left teaching to attend the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki Finland, and traveled free Europe for six months, visiting 16 countries from June to November with wonderful experiences.  He also attended the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, CA and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.  The family were world travelers, visiting Finland seven times, all of Australia four times, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, and extensively throughout the U.S.

Eino was an avid sportsman who enjoyed all sports, including cross country, downhill, and water skiing, fishing, hunting, and 5K running.  Honors were bestowed to him in Seattle, WA, as he was selected to lead all runners carrying the Finnish flag, Minot, North Dakota appearing on TV - and Marquette, Michigan.  He loved to golf with his children Sara and Erikki.  In 1990 he shot a hole in one at Eagle View Golf Course in Park Rapids, MN.

Eino loved country music, working for 20 years at WeFest in Detroit Lakes, MN.  The family made several trips to Branson, MO, and Opryland in Nashville.  In 2004 he coordinated Green Valley Cemetery improvements, and was the cemetery caretaker, doing a lot of volunteer work.  Eino had a wonderful benevolent sense of humor, with a hearty laugh that caused those around him to laugh also.  He also displayed humility, generosity, kindness of service, generous love for all people and his life of service to his family.  He was a wonderful loving husband and father.  Eino was bilingual, preferring to speak Finnish when around older people. 

The family made their home at Stocking Lake, near Menahga, MN, which Eino had built in 1960.  They also lived in Minneapolis where Eino taught for fourteen years at Spring Lake Park, MN, and in Bemidji, MN where he retired from teaching at the Red Lake School District.  In 1992, they moved back to their lake home in Menahga, after 38 years of teaching. 

Eino found the holidays very special, as he always found time to decorate the house and yard during Christmas time.  In 2004, while visiting California to see the "Price Is Right"-Bob Barker show on CBS, Eino was selected to appear on the stage.  He also appeared on CBS with Rosie O’Donnell.  In 1952, he appeared on the Tommy Bartlett radio show in Chicago, ending up a big winner.

Eino was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters Mae Kumara and Alice Anderson and six brothers: Walter, Eddie, Benjamin, Isaac, Elmer, Wilfred and an infant daughter, Tina. He leaves one sister, Irene Koskela of Menahga, MN.  He leaves to cherish his memory, his son Erikki of Menahga, MN and daughter Sara and son-in-law Erik of Shakopee, MN, along with nephews, nieces, and many other relatives and friends.