Dale Slater

Dale D. Slater, age 88, of Granite Falls, passed away Thursday morning, July 8, at the Hutchinson Area Hospital.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 15, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Sacred Heart.  Interment with military honors will be at Fairview Cemetery in Renville.  Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 14, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church and will continue for one hour prior to the service.  Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar.  www.petersonbrothers.com

Dale Duane Slater was born on March 8, 1933, on the family farm near Sacred Heart, Minnesota, the son of Joseph and Mary (Smith) Slater.  He grew up in Sacred Heart and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1951.  On January 5,1954, Dale enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, NV.  On May 13, 1955, in Las Vegas, NV., Dale was united in marriage to Dorothy Atkin.  Dale was stationed in North Africa, Germany and France where he worked as a pre-flight specialist.  Following his honorable discharge on November 15, 1957, they moved to the Sacred Heart area while Dale worked at Montgomery Ward in Montevideo and at Rogers Hydraulics in Granite Falls.  In 1961, Dale and Dorothy settled in Sacred Heart where they raised their two children.  Dale was recruited to work at the Sacred Heart Post Office and after five years, was promoted to Post Master.  He held this position for over 27 years before retiring on December 31, 1999, after 32 years of service.  Following a short retirement, Dale took on a part-time position at Amoco, which later became Kelly’s Korner, where he worked for many years.  In November of 2012, Dorothy passed away and Dale moved to Granite Falls where he has resided for the past eight years. He was a 50 year member of the Masonic Lodge in Renville and then in Olivia, member of the Zuhrah Shrine Temple and was active with the Sacred Heart American Legion Post #229.

He is survived by his two daughters, Debra Hilbrands and Darla Slater, both of Sacred Heart; six grandchildren, Alissa (and Steve) Madden of Eagan, Eric Zabel of Las Vegas, NV., Katrina (and Justin) Larson of Omaha, NE., April Zabel of Maplewood, Shawna (and Kingsley) Richter of Granite Falls and Brianna (and Luke) Niemela of Buffalo; twelve great grandchildren, Kaitlin Wohlman, Gage and Nash Richter, Jacob, Joseph and Benjamin Zabel, Jack and Olivia Madden, Rome and Lochlyn Larson and Annika and Mikko Niemela; besides many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Dorothy in 2012; two brothers, Virgil (and Elaine) Slater and Harold (and Mildred) Slater and two sisters, Esther (and Larry) Benedict and Myrtle Slater in infancy.