Thor "Stan" Solie

Thor Stanley Solie, age 80, passed away peacefully September 10 at the Mapleton Community Home.

Memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, September 18 at St. John’s Lutheran in Mapleton with visitation at 9 a.m. until the time of the service. A private family interment at Sterling Cemetery will occur at a later time. The memorial service will be livestreamed so please follow the link on St. John’s Lutheran of Mapleton website or search for that church on YouTube. Please share a memory of Stan with his family online at www.mankatomortuary.com.

Stan was born to Cecil and Leila Solie of Delavan, Minnesota on August 18, 1940. Prior to his birth, Grandma Hannah Solie suggested that the new baby should have the same initials as his Grandpa Tom (really Thorbjorn) so he became Thor Stanley Solie. It was not a name that his father particularly liked because he thought it was “too Norwegian” so he called him Stanley and most people knew him as Stan. As his medical appointments increased, Thor was more commonly used and many people thought it was “cool”.  As a youngster, Stan’s parents moved to Mapleton, and they lived in a large, historic brick house. This was a prime location for all sorts of adventures with his brother Walter, cousins, and friends. He was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mapleton. In high school, a serious lawnmower accident hospitalized him for several weeks, but he returned to play football and was honorable mention all-state his senior year. He was also homecoming king and senior class president for the class of ‘58. On December 30, 1961, he married his high school sweetheart, Kay Haberer at the United Church. They moved to Long Beach, California for a couple of years before returning to Mapleton to start a family.

Stan worked at Mankato Stone and drove school bus in Mapleton for many years. He then began working for his dad at Solie Sales before purchasing the business in 1978. He built countless grain bins and was good at fixing equipment. Over time, his wife Kay added a gift shop, Thistles and Plaid, and Stan applied his talents to various woodworking projects. Stan’s business, Solie Sales, was a town gathering spot where you could get a crop report, find out how much it rained, and solve most of the world’s problems. Or maybe it was the big pool table in the middle of the office that attracted people.

Stan was actively involved in the community. In Mankato, he served as a director for Farm Credit, and in Delavan, he acted as the caretaker for the West Delavan Cemetery for many years.  In Mapleton, he was involved with the Planning and Zoning Board and later was on the board for the Town and Country Leisure Center. He loved the sport of curling. He won his share of bonspiels and was especially known for his powerful sweeping of a Rink Rat broom. He served as a board member for the Heather Curling Club and later was president of the club, when in 1969, the club underwent a major remodel which included a new roof, kitchen, and spiel room. In 2008, he was named an honorary member of the curling club. When he could no longer curl, he was a curling club regular and loved to watch curling. He served as a trustee for the United Church and was involved in getting an elevator in the church. He was a volunteer fireman for 21 years serving some of those years as assistant chief. In 2014, Stan and Kay were Grand Marshals for Mapleton’s Town and Country Days celebration. In more recent years, he attended Faith Bible Church and appreciated the fellowship there. He also enjoyed family trips, pool, playing softball, golfing with the guys, seeing his grandchildren, and trips to Grove Lake. Stan was blessed with great hands that could catch a football and build beautiful furniture.

He loved to joke around and tease his wife, kids, grandkids, and nurses. He had a sweet tooth and loved Aunt Joyce’s cake, Uncle Paul’s ice cream, his mom’s divinity, his wife’s brownies, and pretty much any chocolate cake, apple pie or candy, especially Mounds bars. If we are what we eat, no wonder Kay described him as “sweet”. Home was hard to beat, but he was blessed to be able to travel to beautiful places like Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. He was the kind of guy that was happy to help family, friend, customer, or stranger. He met a multitude of health challenges most notably dialysis with a smile and a positive attitude. We will miss him.

He is survived by his wife, Kay of Mapleton; son, Tim (Lee) of Mapleton; daughter, Susan (David) Larson of Eden Prairie; grandchildren, Grant and Hannah Solie, Joshua, Benjamin, and Jessica Larson; aunt, Lora Lamp; and sisters-in-law, Joyce Johnson and Audrey Annis.

He was preceded in death by his brothers- in-law, Paul Annis and Wallace Johnson; brother, Walter; and his parents, Cecil and Leila Solie.

The family would like to thank Davita Dialysis and the Mapleton Community Home for their kind and compassionate care.