Vernal Blaine Toftum

Vernal “Bill” Blaine Toftum passed away peacefully at home on 10/2/2022 at the age of 81.  Bill was born 7/29/1941 in Beltrami County in Minnesota and was the only child born to Blaine Merton William Toftum and Marjorie Faye Irene Blish. 

Celebration of life will be October 14, 2022 at The Eagles in Bemidji MN from 2-4 PM. 

Bill gradated from Siskiyou High School in 1960, then attended College of the Siskiyous in 1961 in California.   He married Georgeanna Scribner on 8/31/1962 in Boblingen, Germany where he was serving in the US Army; they would live there for 18 months. He drove a grain truck for many years in Bemidji and was fondly known as “The Blue Goose” on the CB radio. He never missed an opportunity to attend his grandchildrens’ sporting events, hunt, fish, and drive around looking for and taking pictures of wildlife.  He religiously took his weekly trip to the casino on Tuesdays with his $5 coupon to play the penny machines. He “was a poet and didn’t know it” and was always delighting us with an unexpected quip that never failed to make him and everyone else giggle.

Bill is survived by his three daughters: Melissa Leitner (Gary Mondt deceased) (Robert Leitner divorced), Melanie Toftum, and Beth Toftum (Brian Goldberg). Five grandchildren: Ashley Mondt, Jacob, Nickolas, Joseph and Alexis Leitner.  Three great grandchildren: Lyla Mondt, Juniper and Atticus Avery. Preceded in death by his parents and wife.  

In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to the donors choice!

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