Dale Stark, 94, of Thief River Falls passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at Essentia Health in Deer River. Dale now rejoices in the presence of Jesus, his Lord and Savior, whom he has so long desired. His faith has now become sight.
The funeral service in remembrance of Dale’s life will be held at 11 a.m. with visitation one hour prior on Monday, October 12, 2020 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls. Burial will follow at the Viking Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5 until 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2020 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls. Please follow CDC guidelines regarding masks and social distancing.
Dale Luverne Stark was born on May 22, 1926 in Angus, to Walter and Gyda (Gothenberg) Stark. He attended Angus Elementary School and Warren High School. He was an active member of the Angus 4-H Club.
Dale married his sweetheart, Marian Anderson, on March 30, 1951 at the Viking Covenant Church. For 67 years of marriage, they devoted themselves to each other, never quarreled, and loved deeply. For three years, they lived in Angus, then moved to Numedahl Township, and in 1968 settled in Thief River Falls.
Dale enjoyed farming in Warren, Angus, Numedahl township and St. Hilaire. Over the years, Dale grew field crops of wheat, rye and oats. He trained horses to sell and raised cattle, pigs and dairy. When asked which was best, he said, “All the farming years were good.”
Dale worked as a carpenter and jack-of-all-trades. He was once heard to say, “There isn’t anything I haven’t built.” He made a tractor, a sawmill, furniture, and untold more. He even built and flew in his own airplanes and made the casket he will be buried in. He constructed every home they lived in and many others. He could mend or fix nearly anything.
As a long-time member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Thief River Falls, Dale invested much time in both the people and the building.
Dale and his wife, Marian, had a deep love for missions. They supported many ministries, missions, and missionaries and hosted six Loatian refugees in their home. They served on many short-term mission projects in Haiti, The Pas, Manitoba, Bethel, Alaska, and assisted at Missionary Press in Indiana.
Dale was an avid hunter, an excellent marksman, and enjoyed customizing firearms.
Dale was a humble man, patient and kind, very generous with his time and money, giving freely of his talents and his friendly wit. He was known for his positive outlook, tireless work ethic and ingenuity, love for the Lord Jesus, his consistent humor, and uncanny ability to talk to anyone. His sincere love for his family was always evident and he was dear to many friends.
Dale is survived by his five children: Wayne Stark of Grygla, Ronn Stark of Eden Prairie, Rudy Stark of Victor, MT, Carolyn (Charles) Maul of Bigfork and Sandra (David) Ostertag of Maplewood; sixgrandchildren: Shannon (Nathan) Wehr, Theresa (Jonas Hans) Stark, Gwendolyn (Benjamin) Hackett, Michael (Lindsay) Imgrund, Dillon Ostertag and Sara Ostertag; 10 great-grandchildren: Arie, Travis, Dawson, Asher and Alec Wehr, Ida, Bridget and Sterling Hackett, Oliver Hans, Henrick and Olivia Imgrund; and many relatives and friends.
Dale was proceeded in death by his parents and wife, Marian (Anderson) Stark.
Dale now rejoices in the presence of Jesus, his Lord and Savior, whom he has so long desired. His faith has now become sight.
Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com