(SBA) - Dale is gone. Even writing these words makes me want to hurl boulders at the world, but instead, I will thank God that he gave me 26 years with the most precious man I have ever known. When Waterbury Funeral Home asked me what Dale’s profession was, I said, “Public Servant” because that was truly the essence of Dale Petersen. He lived to serve. During his 25 years in the United States Army, he served our nation. After his military retirement, Dale was hired for the same position he had held in the Army, but this time in a civilian capacity. He served his country for an additional 20 plus years in that role as he oversaw the repair and maintenance of military vehicles of all kinds. Nothing left his shop until it was repaired to Dale’s satisfaction. Everyone who worked for Dale at the Army Maintenance Garage loved him, and he loved them. Dale loved broadly and deeply and so many of his employees were truly in his heart. One guy, Willy Wilson would obediently doff his hat each time Dale met him in their coffee room so that Dale could pop Willy in the head. It was their shared sign of affection. Keith Keuck who became Dale’s long-time close friend, told us many times that he saw Dale as the epitome of a good boss, a good Christian and a wonderful father and husband. Dale was, but he never sought praise. He was God’s servant, and he lived his life as a reflection of the only role he considered as his life’s work. Dale left this world unafraid, because he knew that he was so strong in his faith as he served his Savior, his family and his country. He was, truly, a wonderful man.
Dale came into my life 26 years ago through a Beginning Experience Weekend at the Lutheran Camp at Okoboji. Coming out of the Catholic Church, attendees and facilitators do not need to be Catholic, but they do need to have a strong faith in God. The program is designed for older people who have been widowed or divorced. One of my graduate students at Buena Vista was active in the program and for three years, he begged me to attend a weekend retreat. I finally did, and then at the end of the weekend, I was asked if I would be interested in training as a facilitator for the organization, a task that took a year to complete. The first time I worked in that role, Dale was assigned to my small group. I fell in love with him immediately. My husband, with the military mindset, often scoffed at my assertion, but his love for me followed quickly, as well. We were two 49-year-old people who had been damaged by awful divorces. Neither of us had dated after divorce, but from our first late to our last, we went “steady.” Four months after we met, we were engaged and four months after that, we were married. We lived “happily ever after.”
Dale loved Sergeant Bluff. His service on the City Council began in 1984 and he was elected mayor against no competition three times. When we sold our house on Winfield Circle, we bought a lot in Kingston Meadows, but this house took ten months to build. We moved into Rich and Vicki Caldwell’s home that, although it was in the Sergeant Bluff School District, was not within the boundaries of the town. Although we never really “left” town, Dale felt it necessary to resign as Mayor because our home at the time was not physically in Sergeant Bluff. Dale did not regret his decision, although I hated to give up my title of “Queen of Sergeant Bluff”! Dale served our community in so many ways. City Administrator, Aaron Lincoln, gave me a timeline of all of the work that Dale did for the City as a member of the Council and as Mayor. It is far more comprehensive than anyone, except me, now knows. Dale had his “finger in every pie.” He served on the Community Action Team, the Library Board, the initial board of advisors for the Community Center and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Community United Methodist Church. Dale was often at our church seven days a week, fixing a fussy boiler, changing light bulbs, keeping the kitchen “fires” burning. He remodeled our parsonage, created handicapped accessible bathrooms and did a complete overall of our church kitchen, expanding its space from one room to two. One Sunday every month, Dale led the group of men who cooked breakfast for the church. No two Sundays had the same menu as Dale was constantly experimenting with unique offerings to delight the palates of our congregation.
As an English instructor, I always taught my students to write obituary as I told them that they probably would have to craft such a document at least once in their lifetimes. I wrote many obituaries for friends and family. I wrote Dale’s obituary, keeping in mind Roger Waterbury’s comment that rarely did an obituary capture the essence of the person who had died. I think that my obituary painted a true portrait of the man whom I love most in the world. Dale was a servant, first and foremost, and the Bible gives us what I think at the best thought to capture Dale Gene Petersen. “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.”
