George Doll of Amery died peacefully at his own home on April 22, 2016. He was Polk County's oldest citizen at 103 and a half. To call George unique is too easy. No one of us lives the same life, and this was never better exemplified than looking at George's time with us.
George was uninhibited in expressing his joy in living. He seized the moment and as often as they came along helped others appreciate the humor and wonder of that moment.
He was extremely literate and well read, musically gifted, athletically gifted and was simultaneously conservative and generous. He was also not above diving head-first into a dumpster after buried treasure and had an interesting and unusual collection of items at his house.
He was a good husband, father, and a good friend to many through his years.
George served in the Army during WWII as a radio operator in Sicily, Italy and Germany and survived some of the hardest fought battles of WWII. One being the Battle of Monte Cassino. In a separate incident he was captured by the German SS and later during an allied push, impelled his fellow soldiers to stop firing and capture his captures. For this he was awarded a Bronze Star.
George returned home from the war to his wife Joyce, of Osceola and worked at the Osceola Sun newspaper before their move to Amery where George worked on main street at the Amery Free Press for twenty-five years as a linotype operator and pressman. He has also been down main street countless times in parades playing the clarinet with the Interstate Band and once in a one unit parade that involved helping move a piano through town in a homemade trailer with George playing and loudly singing all the way from the north side of town to the east side for the enjoyment of Amery's downtown Saturday morning shoppers.
George also worked part-time for Thompson Machine for the entire time that business was in Amery.
George was born in Perham, Minnesota on October 8, 1912 to mother Mary homemaker and father Philip musician who played in a circus band. Brothers, Eugene, Louis and James All are deceased. He is survived by his children Mary Doll of Amery and Charles Doll of Ketchikan, AK, grandchildren, Catherine Kasberg, Christian and Cassidy Sather, and great grandchildren, Hudson and Ivar Kasberg.
When you live to be 103 years old, most of your family and friends have left this mortal coil ahead of you but there are still a few of us that will miss sharing our time with this truly unique and wonderful man who has enriched and enlightened and helped so many to appreciate the gift of life. So long George Doll, and thank you.


Mass of the Resurrection will be held on Friday, April 29, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Amery. There will be visitation at the church for the hour prior to the service.