Hubers, Henry Dale 1928-2009

HUBERS, DEGROOT, BASTEMEYER

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/6/2010 at 05:02:30

H. DALE HUBERS
Henry Dale Hubers, known to most as Dale, passed on to greater glory surrounded by the family he loved on Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 at the Orange City Area Health System. He was 81 years old.
A service of remembrance and resurrection hope will be held at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City on Saturday, January 2nd at 10:30 am. Trinity senior pastor, the Rev. John Opgenorth, will preside; former pastor and good friend, the Rev. Donald Lenderink, will deliver the message. Interment will follow at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Family visitation will be at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City from 4-6 on New Year's Day.
Dale was born into a loving Christian family who resided on a farm near Middleburg on October 19, 1928. His parents were Henry J. and Mary (DeGroot) Hubers. He and his brother, John, and sisters Geneva, Marcia and Lois, attended a country school near Middleburg. From there he went on to Northwestern Academy (where he would later serve as one of the last principals), NW Junior College and Central College in Pella where he earned his BA in education/math. This would be supplemented later on with a master's degree in education from the University of South Dakota.
Dale met his soul mate, Margaret Bastemeyer, during his time at NW Junior College. They were married on August 25th, 1950, at the church that would become the center of their spiritual life for the rest of their 59 years together – Trinity Reformed in Orange City – where he served as elder, deacon and Sunday School teacher.
Dale was a teacher and high school principal. But education was not only Dale's occupation; it was his passion, as the numerous students who came under his gifted tutelage would testify. This is a passion he lived out as principal of Northwestern Academy, Little Rock High School and Maurice-Orange City High School where he also taught math for thirty years. In the later part of his career he was also an adjunct professor at Northwestern College. Dale followed the careers of his former students with great interest, taking enormous pride in the success many of them achieved.
Dale's leadership gifts in the area of education were recognized not only on a local level, but on a state and national level, as well, through his service on the Iowa State Education Association executive board and various National Education Association committees. He also served on the Northwestern College Executive Board, an institution he supported on many different levels throughout his life.
In his "spare" time Dale held down a number of other jobs, serving at various times as an insurance salesman/hail adjustor and Northrop King seed corn salesman. He was also on the board of directors of the Le Mars Mutual Insurance Agency and served for a short time on the Orange City City Council.
In retirement Dale enjoyed playing golf and cards with friends, attending athletic events and rooting for his beloved Northwestern College. He and Margaret also traveled extensively thanks in part to their globe trotting children, making trips to the Persian Gulf, Japan, and several European countries. Spending time with children and grandchildren, no matter where they lived, was always high on his list of "things I love to do."
Grateful to have shared Dale's life are his wife, Margaret; two sisters, Marcia (Donald) Zwiep of Orange City and Lois Vermeer of Littleton, Colorado; brother-in-law Peter Meerdink of Austin, Texas; sister-in-law Betty Hubers Stewart of Hanover, New Hampshire; three children and their spouses – Barbara Hubers-Drake (Mark), of Seattle, Washington, John Hubers (Lynne), of Plano, Texas, and Jim Hubers (Laura Comito), of Carroll, Iowa along with nine grandchildren – Andrew (Lisa) Drake, John (Lauren Guy) Drake, Margo (Win) Martin, Jennifer Hubers, Adam Hubers, Vanessa (Mark) Jewell, Shawna (Kevin) Nepple, Mathew and Alex Hubers; and three great grandchildren.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents and brother, John, sister, Geneva Meerdink and brother-in-law Richard Vermeer.
Memorials may be directed to Northwestern College at 101 7th Street Southwest; Orange City, IA 51041-1996.
Source - Oleman Funeral Home obituary.