Dale G. Kinder, 88, was taken home to his Lord on Oct. 30, 2012, at the Mapleton Community Home in Mapleton where he had been a resident since April of 2010. He has fought a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Grace United Methodist Church in Kiester, with the Rev. Cherie Daniel officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church. Interment will be at Rice Lake Cemetery following the service. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Memorials may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Dale was born July 7, 1924, in Coos Bay, Ore., to Harvey and Mary Kinder. He and his family moved back to the family farm near Kiester when he was an infant. Dale was baptized and confirmed at the now Grace United Methodist Church in Kiester and attended Kiester High School where he played football. He proudly served with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific during World War II and was discharged in 1946. Dale was united in marriage to Hilda (Dottie) Kuss on March 1, 1947. To this union was born one son, Jerry, of Kiester. Dottie preceded Dale in death in 1982. On June 11, 1988, he married Zelda K. Haugen in Kiester.

Dale was a life member of the Wells VFW, the Kiester American Legion and also a member of the Eagles and Elks clubs. He dearly loved traveling in the motor home and spending his winters in Florida and Arizona. He was a member of the Operating Engineers Local 49, and spent most of his life operating heavy equipment for several road construction companies and retired from Ulland Bros. out of Austin. Dale enjoyed bowling, football and baseball and was an avid fan of the Vikings and Twins.

Dale is survived by his wife Zelda of Kiester; son Jerry of Kiester; granddaughter Michelle (Paul) Whitney of Omaha, Neb., and their three children: Derrick Osmundson, Dylan and Micaela; step-daughter Chantel Haugen and her two girls: Kenya and Takiya of Brainerd; one sister, Marg (Donald) Kinkade of Apple Valley; brothers and sisters-in-law: Carroll Johnson of Brooklyn Park, Donna Osmundson of Kiester, Jeanette (Robert) Parriott of Keister and Dale (Cathy) Johnson of Pequot Lakes; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his first wife Dottie; sisters: Phyllis (Leonard) Levy, Dorothy (Clark) Kincade and Pearl (Henry) Heinrich; and brothers Roland (Lorraine) Kinder and Harold Kinder; and brother-in-law, Ed Osmundson.