I remember when I was out of school for 2 weeks after an emergency appendectomy in the fall of 1961, Dale was kind enough to call me with the assignments due in the two classes we shared, so I could keep up with the homework. Dale was kind and sweet like that, very caring.
I remember Dale as a sneaky funny! He had a great sense of humor but wasn't one to try to knock you over with it. And I don't think I ever heard anybody say anything bad about Dale. I do, however, remember one episode when he wasn't very funny, except in the retelling later in life.
Dale was an awesome catcher on the baseball team, certainly one of the best, if not the best, in the city league. I spent most of my first two years at Custer catching batting practice because nobody was going to beat Dale out for the position. So after basketball in our senior year I decided I'd be the fan support for Dale, Rod, and that weird Gordy Sauer. (Besides those wool uniforms were ungodly hot and itchy!) I could sit behind homeplate as a fan and hear Krasnan damage Dale's hand with his 80+ mph fastballs. It was better than my position on the bench!
Dale had this one bad habit as a catcher, he held his throwing hand on the edge of his glove instead of putting it behind his back to protect it. Sure enough, I was at a game where some kid hit a foul ball that caught Dale on his last two fingers. They suddenly were at right angles to the rest of his fingers. It looked like not much more than skin was holding them on his hand.
Dale immediately fell to the ground and every vile word you had ever heard, and a few I think he invented that day, came rolling out of his mouth. He was in so much pain that my eyes were watering for him! Not much anybody could do for him.
After a minute or so of these explitives, the umpire stood looking down at Dale and said, "Son, watch your language!" Unbelievable! Dale tried to suck it up but there were still a few choice words hurlled in the direction of the umpire! The ump's focus on Dale's language seems funny now but then I think Dale's teammates were ready to string up the ump!
Very reluctantly Coach Denmark asked me to come out for the team. I think he later regretted it because I wasn't within shouting distance of Dale's skills and I tended to screw around alot, even during games! I'm betting Dale would have been All-City, at least, that year.
Dale could be counted on to add "the light touch" to any situation. His wife sais his kids, when they were teenagers, would say to him, "Dad, cut it out!" when he horsed around when their friends were there! (I'm sure all of us who have ever had teenagers can appreciate that! - how we embarrass them at that stage just by being ourselves!) Dale had a soft heart, was a loving soul, and will forever live on in our hearts!
Dale and I were fellow athletes at Custer but I came in contact with him again after I retired from teaching in Cedarburg, WI. I started working part time as a driver at a car dealership in Cedarburg. Dale was a salesman there and when he retired from selling he started driving cars with me until he was diagnosed with cancer. We drove and picked up cars at many different cities such as Chicago and Detroit. While driving together we talked alot about our lives, including Custer memories. He was a great guy with many funny stories. It was sad to see him go at such a young age.
Melody Jones (Parker)
I remember when I was out of school for 2 weeks after an emergency appendectomy in the fall of 1961, Dale was kind enough to call me with the assignments due in the two classes we shared, so I could keep up with the homework. Dale was kind and sweet like that, very caring.
Meribeth Hodges (Engelfried)
He also had a great sense of humor and drove like a maniac!!!!!
Garry Sellers
I remember Dale as a sneaky funny! He had a great sense of humor but wasn't one to try to knock you over with it. And I don't think I ever heard anybody say anything bad about Dale. I do, however, remember one episode when he wasn't very funny, except in the retelling later in life.
Dale was an awesome catcher on the baseball team, certainly one of the best, if not the best, in the city league. I spent most of my first two years at Custer catching batting practice because nobody was going to beat Dale out for the position. So after basketball in our senior year I decided I'd be the fan support for Dale, Rod, and that weird Gordy Sauer. (Besides those wool uniforms were ungodly hot and itchy!) I could sit behind homeplate as a fan and hear Krasnan damage Dale's hand with his 80+ mph fastballs. It was better than my position on the bench!
Dale had this one bad habit as a catcher, he held his throwing hand on the edge of his glove instead of putting it behind his back to protect it. Sure enough, I was at a game where some kid hit a foul ball that caught Dale on his last two fingers. They suddenly were at right angles to the rest of his fingers. It looked like not much more than skin was holding them on his hand.
Dale immediately fell to the ground and every vile word you had ever heard, and a few I think he invented that day, came rolling out of his mouth. He was in so much pain that my eyes were watering for him! Not much anybody could do for him.
After a minute or so of these explitives, the umpire stood looking down at Dale and said, "Son, watch your language!" Unbelievable! Dale tried to suck it up but there were still a few choice words hurlled in the direction of the umpire! The ump's focus on Dale's language seems funny now but then I think Dale's teammates were ready to string up the ump!
Very reluctantly Coach Denmark asked me to come out for the team. I think he later regretted it because I wasn't within shouting distance of Dale's skills and I tended to screw around alot, even during games! I'm betting Dale would have been All-City, at least, that year.
Sandy Wachs (Oldham)
I just loved being around Dale. He was always having a great time, and enjoyed laughing with others. Such a fun guy. RIP
Bonnie Seitz (Kenny)
Dale could be counted on to add "the light touch" to any situation. His wife sais his kids, when they were teenagers, would say to him, "Dad, cut it out!" when he horsed around when their friends were there! (I'm sure all of us who have ever had teenagers can appreciate that! - how we embarrass them at that stage just by being ourselves!) Dale had a soft heart, was a loving soul, and will forever live on in our hearts!
Dean Schwarten
Dale and I were fellow athletes at Custer but I came in contact with him again after I retired from teaching in Cedarburg, WI. I started working part time as a driver at a car dealership in Cedarburg. Dale was a salesman there and when he retired from selling he started driving cars with me until he was diagnosed with cancer. We drove and picked up cars at many different cities such as Chicago and Detroit. While driving together we talked alot about our lives, including Custer memories. He was a great guy with many funny stories. It was sad to see him go at such a young age.
- Dean Schwarten