Michael Neil Gail

Michael Neil Gail was born on November 25, 1948 in Wheaton, Minnesota to Alton and Lorraine (Larson) Gail. He passed away surrounded by his family on September 17, 2026 at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Michael graduated in 1967 from Wheaton High School. He married his life long best friend, Jeannie Baldry on September 30, 1967. Their marriage was blessed with three children: Karen, Timothy and Mark.

After graduating from Moorhead State University in 1971, he began teaching elementary education in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, where he and Jeannie formed lifelong friendships.

In 1975 Michael moved his young family back to his hometown of Wheaton, Minnesota where he became the State Farm Insurance agent. Over the years, he formed many lasting friendships with his clients. In 2021 Michael retired after forty-six years to his lake home near Grey Eagle, Minnesota.

He was an avid sports enthusiast and rarely missed an opportunity to attend any sporting event or dance recital that his children or grandchildren were participating in. He immensely enjoyed coaching football and basketball and thought of his players as “his boys”. He was very proud of all of his kids!

He had a great love of vintage cars and thoroughly enjoyed buying, selling, fixing, restoring, researching and collecting old cars. He started working on cars at a very young age and over the years acquired a vast mechanical knowledge.

Michael enjoyed hunting and fishing, and some of his fondest memories were made walking the fields for pheasants, in the tree stand hunting deer, or in the boat or fish-house with family and friends.

Above all else, Michael loved people. He cherished his family and friends and valued every opportunity to spend time with those he loved. His generosity, hard work, integrity and love of family left a lasting impression on everyone blessed to have known him.

Michael is preceded in death by his parents Alton and Lorraine; in-laws Len and Frankie Baldry; brother-in-law Jim Conroy; and nephew Steven Conroy.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of fifty-nine years Jeannie; his children: Karen (Jeff) Sawyer; Timothy (Kim) Gail; and Mark (Nikki) Gail; grandchildren: MacKenzie (Patrick) Riewer and their children Cruze, Canon and Campbell; Carter (Shelby) Sawyer and their children Grayson, Harper and Tatum; Isaac (Ashton) Sawyer and their children Quincy and Crosby; Gabriel (Shane) Zylstra and their children Brooks, Decker and Leighton; Liam and Jackson Sawyer; Haley Nelson and children Willow and Sage; Hannah (Ethan) Bohlsen and their children Baylor, Hank and Rhett; Kylee, Eli and Griffin Gail. Michael is also survived by his sisters: Sandra Conroy, Lori (Brian) Draxten, Leann (Rick) Sando and brothers: Richard (Ann) Gail, Dennis (Sandy) Gail and Scott (Lisa) Gail; and many nieces and nephews who meant so very much to him.

Michael leaves behind a lifetime of love, memories, hard work, laughter and treasured adventures. His greatest legacy is the family and friendships he held so dear. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew him.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Bethlehem Covenant Church in Wheaton, Minnesota with Pastor Tim Shekleton officiating. Visitation will be held Friday, October 2, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Bethlehem Covenant Church. Visitation will continue Saturday morning one hour prior to service time at the church. Interment will be in Wildwood Cemetery, Wheaton.