Dale Vernon Sturm was born on August 7th, 1941, in Minnehaha County, South Dakota to Harold W. and Violet M. (Hope) Sturm. He was baptized on November 2nd, 1941, and confirmed on September 9th, 1956, at Grace Lutheran Church in Watertown. Dale graduated from Watertown High School. After high school he joined the US Army, where he served for three years, and went to Ft. Knox, KY, where he met and married Frances Siler. To their marriage three daughters: Jacqueline, Juliane, and Janel were born. Later in life he married Lorie Dotseth and to their marriage he adopted a son, Travis. In his career as a meat cutter for Swift & Company at Guymon, OK he contracted brucellosis which debilitated his health. He became unable to work and was deemed disabled. He decided to go back to school and attended Willmar Vo-Tech in the machine tool and die program and graduated. He worked for a brief time but his illness prevented him from continuing. This allowed him to spend time with his family and friends. Helping others became a life long passion.Dale was a positive, generous, giving, and caring father, son, grandfather, and friend. He was a man of faith. He loved all those who entered his life without prejudice. He loved his animals and enjoyed nurturing and teaching others. Dale enjoyed music, fishing, hunting, woodworking, card games, drawing and painting, and working on his computer. Most of all he enjoyed spending time with his mother, Violet, and the grandchildren. He spent every morning on the phone with his mother and most days visiting with her.Dale died unexpectedly on Saturday, November 27th, at his home in Appleton. He had attained 69 years, 3 months, and 20 days of age.He is survived by four children: Jacqueline (Jim) Thompson of Montevideo, Juliane (Brad) Boraas of Maynard, Janel Smith of Appleton, and Travis (Leigh) Sturm of New Jersey; six grandchildren: Nathan Sturm, Christopher Thompson, Alexander Sturm, Victoria Thompson, Lillian Smith, and Maya Sturm; three grandchildren through marriage: Alyze, Alexandra, and Tyler Boraas; his mother, Violet M. Sturm, of Appleton; sister, Carol Bohlman, of Correll; brother, Eugene (Pauline) Sturm of Watertown, SD; nieces, nephews, and other relatives.He is preceded in death by his father, Harold; brother-in-law, Larry Bohlman, and several aunts and uncles.