Donald Dabill

Don Dabill, age 88, of Pine River, passed away Sunday, May 3, 2009. He was born in Bull Moose Township on August 18, 1920 where he lived 11 years until 1931 when he moved to Bungo Township where he lived 67 years. Then in 1998 he moved back to Bull Moose Township.

Don served in the Army November 11, 1942 until April 2, 1946. He married Myrle on June 9, 1943. He served ETO (European Theater of Operation) under General Eisenhower and Patton. He was an Army Medical Sergeant Technician 4th Class, and attended the Nuremberg Trials in 1946, returning home in 1946 and two years of adjusting to civilian life.

He farmed from 1948 until 1993. He started driving school bus in 1951 and drove for 15 years. He was an accredited and certified MN state assessor for 15 years for Bungo Township and a number of other townships in Cass and Crow Wing Counties, and served on the Pine River School Board for 12 years starting in 1974. He drove the bookmobile from March 1966 until December 1988. He taught Sunday School for 52 years, serving as a Sunday School Superintendent in three churches, and was on the church board for 30 plus years. He served as 1st Chairman of Foster Parents Organization of Cass County and as a 4H leader a number of years.

Don enjoyed fulfillment of his lifetime dream of producing electricity with his homemade water wheel on Dabill Creek which was shown on television and enjoyed by thousands of people over a period of several years. In later years he enjoyed expressing himself by writing in a number of local papers. He also enjoyed composing a book of poems which was published with his wife Myrle's illustrations.

One of his last enjoyments of civic duties was to be zoning office of Bungo Township for a number of years. He served as a volunteer at the Good Samaritan Home for a number of years starting about 1995.

He is survived by his wife Myrle, two daughters Linda (Walter) Jenson, Karen (Bill) Korpi, two sons, Doug (Winnie) Dabill, Richard Dabill, 18 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, sister Mary of Oregon and brother John of Fargo.

Services will be 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, at Mildred Bible Chapel, Backus. Burial will follow in Pine Ridge Cemetery, Pine River. Visitation will be Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at Kline Funeral Home, Pine River, and one hour prior to the service.