Dale Svingen

Dale C. Svingen, 89, Fargo, ND passed away on Sunday, September 15, 2013 at Riverview Place in Fargo. The Mass of Christian Burial will be on Thursday, September 19 at 10:00 AM at St. John's Catholic Church, Wahpeton, ND. Visitation will be on Wednesday at the Riverview Place Chapel, Fargo from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM with a 7:00 PM Prayer Vigil. There will also be visitation one hour prior to Mass at the church. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery, Wahpeton, ND. Arrangements are entrusted to Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton.

Dale was born on April 30, 1924 to Peter and Stella (Jones) Svingen in Bottineau, ND. He grew up in Overly, ND and graduated from Overly High School in 1942. Dale enlisted in the US Marine Corps on April 28, 1944 and served on the USS Minneapolis in the Pacific as Captain's Orderly and member of the Marine Security Detachment. He was honorably discharged on April 2, 1946. He returned to North Dakota, attended the North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton and received a degree in electrical engineering.

Dale was united in marriage to Margaret "Betty" Dietz on December 27, 1950 at St. John's Catholic Church in Wahpeton. They lived in various communities while Dale was stringing telephone wire around the tri-state area. They then moved to Steele, ND in 1957, where Dale became the Plant Manager and later General Manager of BEK Telephone. In 1978, they moved to Hazen, ND where he served as Manager of West River Telephone until he retired in 1989. In 2006, Dale and Betty moved to Riverview Place, in Fargo, ND.

Dale was a natural and skilled leader and served in many capacities including numerous years as Steele School Board President and as a 4th degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus. Along with his community leadership positions, Dale also served as President of the North Dakota Telephone Association for two years.

Dale's legacy includes his service to God through the Catholic Church, to country through the Marine Corps, and to his community through volunteer work and a long list of service organizations. He was devoted to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Dale worked with his sons to restore his own father's 1925 Model T truck. He loved to dance, especially with his one true love, Betty. He enjoyed music, gardening, woodworking, playing cards, golfing and shooting pool. Dale was generous, loving, and compassionate with his friends and family. He used his computer to share stories, bits of wisdom and life lessons with his grandchildren and others. Check out his YouTube videos!!! For fourteen years after retirement, Dale and Betty spent the winter months in Harlingen, TX and made many good friends. They also enjoyed attending USS Minneapolis Marine Corps detachment reunions. Dale was selected to be on the first Honor Flight from Fargo to visit the WW II Memorial and National Museum of the Marine Corps in Washington, D.C.

Dale is survived by his beloved wife of more than 62 years, Betty, Fargo, ND; his children, Peder (Susan Barton), Duluth, MN; Paul (Suzann) Mt. Horeb, WI and their children Scotti, Justin (Adrienne), and Davis (Anna); David (Julianne) Omaha, NE and their children, Eric, Kyle, and Leah; Dyan (Chuck) Summers, Fargo, ND and their children, Kellen and Riley; Daniel (Ila), Bismarck, ND and their children, Emily and Elena; Donna (David) Lite, Overland Park, KS and their children, Evan and Ryan; and his four great-grandchildren, Macy, RaeLynn, Ada, and Stella.

Dale was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Genevieve Whitfield, Sacramento, CA; and his brother, John L. Swingen, Rocky Hill, CT.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the Svingen family prefers donations to The Nature Conservancy of North Dakota or St. John's Catholic Church in Wahpeton.