DALE, Orville Eldon, Sr.
DALE, SCHOONOVER, FLANAGAN, DEEMER, RIPPEY, HAMILTON, VOGEL, STEPHENSON, NORTHUP, SMITH, LEONARD
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 6/26/2018 at 19:00:52
Obituary ~ Orville Eldon Dale Sr.
June 01, 1923 - April 16, 2018The Leon Journal-Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, IowaOrville Eldon Dale, Sr. was born June 1st, 1923, at the family homestead down the hill from New Salem Church in Decatur County, Iowa. He left this life on Monday, April 16, 2018, at Westview Acres in Leon, Iowa.
Orville was the third child born to Chester Earl and Virginia Ethel (Schoonover) Dale. Virgie, his mother, had health problems after Orville’s birth so he struggled to live…guess that is why Orville often said to celebrate life. Older brother, Joe, and sister, Helen, kept him on track and he then became a leader to his younger brother, Barrett, and sister, Thelma. We know he passed his boyish ways on to his children and grandchildren.
He first attended Highbryer Country School. The story of how not to play sick was passed down. Orville often told the story of how he wanted to stay home from school one day and told his mother he was ill. She said he could stay home but had to take cod liver oil. Orville said he did not play sick again after that. In 1943, Orville graduated from Leon High School. He married Ruth Gwenevere Flanagan in March of 1943. They met at a square dance in Pleasanton, Iowa. After the birth of their first child, son Eldon, they moved to farm in Dallas County, Iowa.
In May of 1945, during World War ll, Uncle Sam called the young Orville into the service of the Army. Ruth and their young son moved back close to her family as Orville went to Fort Knox, Kentucky. Basic training, commander of a tank, and he was off to serve in Austria and Germany. He did many things in the service, which included working at the PX, driving, and delivering supplies to the troops. General Dwight Eisenhower was his commander. Orville got to drive on the auto bond (sic) road in Austria before the interstates in the U.S. In July of 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed release papers to send the young fathers home.
Orville was welcomed home by wife, Ruth, son, Eldon, and new daughter, Sharon. Two years later they welcomed daughter, Sherryl, and later came daughter, Rhonda.
Settling back into farming he worked three more years in Decatur County. He went to work for the public, operating big equipment, building ponds and terraces, and driving a truck. He drove a school bus, then bought a truck and hauled livestock, grain, coal, and moved people. In 1959, he went to work for the Decatur County road department, running a dozier, truck, and then the road grader. After an accident broke his arm the county installed bars on the dozier to protect the driver when pushing down trees. Orville drove the grader for many years, he usually left each morning at 7 a.m. but in the winter he was up at 3 a.m. to make sure the snow was off “his route” for clear roads for the people to drive on. He had a CB handle of “35” and “Coyote”. He retired from the County in 1985, but worked at Nine Eagles State Park eight summers. Orville had a workshop at his house where he spent many hours doing projects. Orville and Ruth loved to travel and camp. They spent several winters in southern Texas and southern Missouri.
After selling his house in Pleasanton, he and Ruth moved to Crown Colony Housing in Lamoni, Iowa in 2004. He spent the first year there in and out of the hospital. He was a favorite to call on to play the card game, Pitch. He kept busy by helping the maintenance man at Crown Colony stain railings. Later because of failing eyesight he had to give up his love of playing cards along with his driver’s license. In 2016, because of failing health Orville and Ruth moved to Terrace Park Assisted Living in Leon.
Orville was a man for doing things and not wanting anything in return. He helped rescue two children from a burning house, the children would have died as they were hiding under a bed. He and co-worker, Charlie, saved a man from a cave-in at a bridge site. Orville never said anything about this till years later.
Orville was a 50 plus year member of the Emblem Lodge #189 and Queen Victoria Chapter of Eastern Star in Pleasanton. He was a member of New Salem Church and served as a deacon. In 1994, he moved his membership to Trinity Christian Church and remained a faithful servant.
Orville was preceded in death by his parents, Chester and Virginia Dale; siblings, Joe Dale and wife, Glada, Helen Deemer and husband, Ralph, Barrett Dale and wife, Mary, and Thelma Rippey and husband, Robert; and his beloved granddaughter, Raginna Gaye Hamilton.
Survivors include wife of 75 loving years, Ruth “Mom”; children, Eldon Dale and wife, Sue, of Sigourney, Iowa, Sharon Hamilton and husband, Keith, of Leon, Iowa, Sherryl Vogel and husband, Jim, of Pleasanton, Iowa, and Rhonda Stephenson and husband, David, of Tipton, Missouri; grandchildren, Tammy & Donnie Northup, Ronnie & Chris Dale, Johnny & Angel Dale, Steve & Gayla Hamilton, Robert & Patty Hamilton, Sherry & Ronnie Smith, Melissa & Marlin Leonard, James Vogel, Peter Vogel, Andrew & Jami Vogel, Lynette Stephenson and companion, Randy, Brant & Carlie Stephenson, and Daniel & Becky Stephenson; 29 great grandchildren; 18 great, great grandchildren; two great, great, great grandchildren; nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends. “Coyote signing off……….”
Services will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 21, 2018. Trinity Christian Church, Decatur, Iowa. Intement will be made at New Salem Cemetery, Leon, Iowa.
Slade-O'Donnell Funeral Home of Leon, Iowa, is in charge of arrangements.
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2018
Decatur Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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