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Leslie Dale Hildebrand

180216_J_HILDEBRAND-obitMason City – Leslie Dale Hildebrand, 95, of Mason City, passed peacefully to be with his Lord on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. He passed away at Good Shepherd Health Center, Mason City.

A funeral service will be held 12 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Mason City, with the Reverend Kathy Graves officiating, with visitation two hours prior to services. Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery, Greene, Iowa, at a later date. Military honors will be conducted by the Mason City Veterans.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Trinity Lutheran Church Seminary Scholarship or the Mason City Senior Center.

Dale was born March 12, 1922 on a farm near Charles City, Iowa, the son of Lillie (Fisher) and Henry Hildebrand. He was the fifth of nine siblings. He grew up on a farm near Marble Rock, graduating from Marble Rock High School in 1940.

Dale joined the US Navy on Dec. 9, 1942 and served until his honorable discharge on Feb. 2, 1946. He served as an Aviation Electrician Mate, 1st Class on the USS Essex. He was awarded a ribbon bar with a bronze star for extraordinary heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Pacific War Area from August 1943-1945.

Dale married Verna Ellen Niemonen on June 19, 1948 at University Lutheran Church in Seattle, Washington. To this union three children were born with one twin daughter passing at birth. Dale was proud of the longevity of their marriage for 69 years, after only a short four-month courtship. He always joked that on their anniversaries, he would get congratulations cards and Verna would get sympathy cards.

While living most of his life in Greene and Floyd county, he farmed, milked cows and work at various jobs in the area. He and Verna were faithful members of St. Peter Lutheran Church, Greene. After leaving the farm and moving to Charles City, they joined St. John’s Lutheran Church and owned an ice cream store in the mall. In 1997, they moved to Mason City and became active in the Senior Center, Wednesday dances, noon meals, Saturday morning coffee group and members at Trinity Lutheran Church. In addition, Dale work at Walmart for a few years.

Dale was quite the ladies’ man and loved to dance. In 1948, he met an “attractive young woman” on the dance floor in Seattle and he never let her go. The two of them continued to dance at various ballrooms for many years. On his 80th birthday, Dale danced for two hours straight making sure he danced with every woman at his party!

Hildebrand Reunions were always a favorite time for him. He attended every reunion since their beginning in 1922, the year he was born. The only exceptions were during his time in the service and after moving into Good Shepherd two years ago. He truly enjoyed the peas and dumplings, rhubarb and strawberry pies.

Dale is survived by his wife, Verna; son Steven (Jane), Decorah; daughter, Jeanne, Mason City; four grandsons, Chris (partner Jamie Kite), Forest City, Josh (Lisa), North Liberty, Jake, Decorah and Jim (Claire), Saudi Arabia; eleven great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild; two brothers, Mark, Milwaukee, WI and Dwight, Omaha, NE and in-laws, Zona, Marion, IA and Rosalie and Les Smith, Kenmore, WA.

Preceding Dale in death are his parents, Henry and Lillie; infant daughter, Janet Leigh; four brothers, Gerald, Sylvan, Fred and Gordon; two sisters, Lillian Barth and Clella Van Riper.

The family would like to thank the staff at Good Shepherd Health Center and Pastor Kathy at Trinity Lutheran for all the loving care and kindness these past two years.

Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 3rd St. NE, Mason City, Iowa; (641)423-2372; ColonialChapels.com.

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