Dale Sheldon

Dale Chauncey Sheldon was born to Robert Malcom and Emmalyn (Youngner) Sheldon on February 14th, 1929 at the LeRoy farm near Lake Le Homme Dieu, north of Alexandria, Minnesota. The family lived in the Alexandria area before settling onto their own farm on Lake Jessie which remained his home for most of his life. After Dale graduated from Central High School in Alexandria in 1947, he began working for Peterson Paint Shop before going on to attend the University of Minnesota, majoring in music. While at the University, he joined a church choir where he met a young woman in the soprano section, his wife to be, Virginia Faye Pierce, of Wadena MN, with whom he shared a lifelong love of music and the arts.
They were married on June 29th, 1952 at the First Congregational Church in Alexandria. Dale joined the Army on February 21st, 1951 and was stationed in at Fort Worden at Port Angeles, Washington where he played French horn and bassoon in the military band until 1953. The couple moved back to Alexandria, MN, where they built their home and raised five children.
At that time Dale resumed working for Emil Peterson at the Paint Shop, eventually purchasing the business which then became the Sheldon Paint Shop for fifty plus years. He furthered his skills in wood graining and wallpapering through studies at the Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis, returning there as a guest presenter on wood graining in later years.
Music remained one of the loves of his life as he was active in the First Congregational Church choir, the Alexandria Civic Orchestra, community bands and choirs and the Alexandria Area Arts Association where he and his wife performed onstage and helped build sets in many musicals. The fine arts world of theatre, music and poetry was always a major force in his life.
Dale also had a lifelong love of horses and spent many hours riding and driving horses with his wife and children, passing that interest and skill on to them.
Dale passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on July 28, 2015 at age 86. He was preceded in death by his wife Virginia, and his parents. He is survived by his daughters: Brita (Philip) Sailer, Park Rapids, MN; Julia (Robert) Morris , Bailey, CO; Genevieve ( Tim) Poehls, Wolverton, MN; Sylvia (Joseph) Luetmer, Alexandria; son, Peter Sheldon (Jeannie Anderson), Alexandria; 11 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and two great, great grandchildren; his brothers, Keith Sheldon of Cleveland, OH, and Douglas (Dixie) Sheldon of Fallbrook, CA, and sister Marjorie Gromatka of Alexandria, MN.
Memorial Service held on Monday, August 10, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Alexandria. Inurnment, Geneva Cemetery. Honorary Urn bearers: Peter Sheldon, Philip Sailer, Robert Morris, Tim Poehls and Joseph Luetmer. Memorials preferred to the Alexandria Area Arts Association and First Congregational UCC church in Alexandria. Funeral arrangements by the Anderson Funeral Home. www.AndersonFuneral.net