Dale John Dieltz, 95, formerly of Jasper, died Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22, with a visitation at 10 a.m. at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. Military honors will be presented. Graveside committal will be at St. Joseph Cemetery near Jasper at 2:30 p.m.
Dale Dieltz was born on June 5, 1922, to John and Emma (Buysse) Dieltz on his parents’ farm southeast of Jasper. He attended country school for eight grades and Jasper High School. Dale farmed with his dad until he enlisted in the Navy during World War II. He served from January 1944 to April 1946 aboard the battleship USS New Mexico. He was stationed in the South Pacific and served as a gunner’s mate, participating in battles at Leyte Gulf and Okinawa, among others.
Dale married Rosemary Cotter on Feb. 11, 1947. They farmed southeast of Jasper until moving to a farm on the eastern edge of Jasper.
Dale was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. In later years, they moved into Jasper and Dale got his realtor’s license and sold real estate. Rosemary died July 12, 1980.
After his discharge from the Navy, Dale learned to fly and participated in fly-ins around the countryside. He took several trips throughout the U.S. and Europe. One of his last big trips was with the first Honor Flight out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in May 2009 to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Dale was a longtime admirer of American ingenuity and enjoyed solving problems with the mechanics of his farm equipment, and later on, woodworking and furniture refinishing.
Dale is survived by ten children, John (Karla) Dieltz, San Antonio, Texas, Maureen (Jeff) Anderson, Watertown, South Dakota, Madonna (Roger) Kufus, St. Paul, Michael (Sally) Dieltz, Sioux Falls, Suzanne (Steve) Eide, Plymouth, Sharon (Mark) Poppendeck, Plymouth, Brian Dieltz, Shoreview, Mary (Michael) Sanderson, Frederic, Wisconsin, Margaret (Dale) Knudsen, Loretto, and Kathleen (John) Hulterstrum, Litchfield; 20 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; his sister, Veronica (Clem) Moore; and a brother, Jerry (Jean) Dieltz.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; an infant son; a brother, Wayne Dieltz; and a sister, Lorayne Pedersen.
Memorials are preferred to the Staff Appreciation Fund, Minnesota Veterans Home, Luverne, MN 56156.
Arrangements are through the Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. www.hartquistfuneral.com.
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