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Good Samaritan Society’s Dale Struck likes to have fun.

Though he has had his ups and downs in life with his health and other challenges, he enjoys putting a smile on others’ faces and says he tries to have a good attitude about life.

“So many things that’s been going wrong, but you can’t let it get to you,” said Struck, who has lived at the care center for about two years and had his left leg amputated about a year ago.

Struck, who graduated from high school in Windom, said he has only lived in Albert Lea since he has been in Good Samaritan Society, though he lived in nearby Brownsdale and Austin for a time, too.

“Dale’s just a great joy to have around,” said Tracey Ball, activities director with Good Samaritan Society, who said she enjoys stopping by and talking to Struck in his room.

He said his wife worked for the Good Samaritan Society in Windom, and his mother also worked for the company, so it only made sense to come to the senior care facility when he and his family were looking for more support for his health.

“Where else would I go besides Good Samaritan?” he said. “It’s a good place to live.”

Earlier in his life Struck served in the United States Marine Corps for two years in 1969 to 1971 and then served 21 years in the Army National Guard. He also worked for Ag-Chem, which built three-wheel flotation crop sprayers.

He and his wife, Connie, who was from Hayfield, were married 40 years, before she died at the age of 60 from bone cancer after only a few months battling her prognosis.

The couple had four sons and have since had eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild, with another on the way.

Coloring pages from his grandchildren and photographs of all of the family can be seen on the bulletin board in his room and on a table set up there.

These days, Struck said he enjoys watching TV and watching live music, which they try to have every week at Good Samaritan, Ball said.

He goes in for dialysis three days a week at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea, and said he is appreciative of the travel options available to him to those appointments through Good Samaritan.

He said he hopes to move to assisted living in the coming months as he no longer needs the full care provided at the care center.