Kathleen F Dahl (1928-2005)

DAHL, HALVERSON, FORBES, ANDERSON, KATTER

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 12/25/2007 at 11:43:11

The Story County Herald, Story City, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday August 3, 2005.

Kathleen F Dahl, 77, passed away Saturday, July 23, 2005. Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 27 at First Presbyterian Church, Lakeland, Florida and were also held Friday, July 29 at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ellsworth. Visitation was held Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church after 10:00 a.m. until the service began. Interment was in Ellsworth at the Homewood Cemetery.

Kathleen Fae Dahl was the third of five children born to Arlen and Came Dahl on March 11, 1928 near Ellworth, Iowa. Kay grew up on the family farm where she completed daily chores before attending the first eight grades in a nearby one room schoolhouse.

Kay met her husband-to-be, Archie Halverson, at Radcliffe High School. In fact, one of the favorite family stories Kay shared with her children and grandchildren was how Archie asked her out on a date every week for 1 1/2 years. She would go to her mom and ask permission only to be referred to her dad, who would smile, shake his head and tell her she had to wait until her senior prom. When the prom finally arrived she was sick with the mumps and Archie had to take another date to the dance.

After high school graduation, while Archie served his country in the U.S. Army, Kay completed a two year degree at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa and started her teaching career in Radcliffe. Upon Archie's return in 1948, Kay and Archie were married. They began their lives together farming and had three sons, each born three years and a month apart: Vance (1950), Kim (1953), and Jay (1956). Shortly after Jay's birth the family moved to Arcadia, Florida where, after a brief ranching partnership, they purchased a former dormitory and converted the rooms into apartments. Kay resumed her teaching career in Fort Ogden, south of Arcadia, serving as the only teacher and principal of the small school. In 1963, Kay earned her Bachelor's degree from Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The family moved from Arcadia to Tampa in 1965 for Archie to join Mathews Development Corporation, as construction superintendent. Kay taught one year in Tampa at Carollwood Elementary before accepting a teaching position at Winston Elementary in Kathleen, just outside of Lakeland. Archie died in a construction accident on Dec. 14, 1967. The following April, in order to be closer to her work, Kay moved her family to her present home in Lakeland.

In 1974, Kay married Howard Forbes, a high school math teacher and long-time family friend from Arcadia. Kay and Howard shared a love for travel; a passion that took them around the world and throughout the United States. They fondly kept track of all their adventures with pins on a world map. In 1996, after a long illness, Howard passed away.

Kay loved to dance so she joined long-time friends at a square dance club. It was there that she met Thomas Anderson who she married in 1997. They continued to square dance and travel until Tom passed away in 2003.

Kay remained active enjoying her family and friends and many activities including playing the piano, embossing, stamping and painting. She was an active member of First Presbyterian Church and Beta Sigma Phi sorority winning program of the year several times. Only she could make the history of barbed wire interesting.

Those who knew and loved Kay will remember her most fondly for her joy of life, her quick smile, her passion for entertaining and travel, her beautiful rose garden, and her limitless love for her family and friends.

Kay is survived by her three sons and their wives, Vance (Debbie) of Naperville, Illinois; Kim (Debi) of Arcadia, Florida; and Jay (Maryellen) of Clearwater, Florida; grandchildren Arah, Jennifer, Jill, Brook, and Chad; 1 sister Alyce Ann (William) Katter of Garner, Iowa and brother Sterling (Sharon) Dahl of Jewell, Iowa.