Dale W. Wachtel (84) of Shumway
Published on June 16 2017 3:18 pm
Dale W. Wachtel, 84, of Shumway, died at 9:25 p.m., Thursday, June 15, 2017 at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 19, 2017 at St. Paul ‘Blue Point’ Lutheran Church, rural Altamont with Rev. Mark Witte officiating and prior to service time on Monday there will be a visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. and a Rotary member walk-through at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., Sunday, June 18th at the church. Memorials may be made to St. Paul ‘Blue Point’ Lutheran Church Modernizing Fund, Lutheran Care Center, Altamont, or Beta Sigma Psi National Lutheran Fraternity.
Dale William Wachtel was born on Wednesday, September 28, 1932 in rural Altamont to William and Florence (Oliver) Wachtel. He married Shirley Searcy on August 14, 1955 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Decatur. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1956. After graduation, he was employed by the University of Arizona Farm Extension Service. He then began a long career with Farm Service (FS) working in agriculture product sales at the FS locations in Eureka, IL (Woodford County) and Woodstock, IL (McHenry County). He then worked as the manager in Carrollton, IL (Greene County), LeMars, IA, and Belleville, IL (St Clair County). He was the Agriculture Department vice-president of the Belleville National Bank; was owner/real estate broker of Prime Land Company; and was a farm land appraiser and loan officer with John Hancock Insurance Company.
He was a member of St. Paul ‘Blue Point’ Evangelical Lutheran Church where he served in various capacities. He was a member of LLL, Effingham County Pork Producers, University of Illinois Alumni Association and an active member of Effingham Rotary. He was a past director of the University of Illinois Ag Alumni Board and an inaugural member of the Round Barn Society at the University’s college of ACES. He was also a long term director of the Illinois Farm Bureau and a past president of the Effingham County Farm Bureau. His continued participation in the Effingham Farm Bureau was one of his greatest joys.
Dale will always be remembered as an engaging conversationalist and an avid traveler. He was often on the road visiting his daughters in Texas and his grandchildren’s numerous sporting events across the country. Long distance treks included trips to Europe, Alaska, and Hawaii. Since January, with his best travel companion Shirley, they were seen at a Farm Bureau convention in Phoenix, a resort in Mexico, a cruise in the Caribbean, and a lively show in Las Vegas. He is now at his final destination with his Heavenly Father.
Dale is survived by his wife of over 61 years, Shirley of Shumway; son, Lyle (Jayne) Wachtel of Champaign; daughters, Diane Gibson of Houston, TX and Karen (Michael) Vollmer of Richmond, TX; sister, Doris Wendte of Altamont; brother, Larry Wachtel of Effingham; grandchildren; Bryan, Erin and Kelly Wachtel; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents William and Florence, stepmother Olga (Ziegler) , son-in-law Kenneth “Shane” Gibson; brother Kenneth Wachtel and his wife Betty, brother Donald Richard Wachtel in infancy, and brother-in-law Walter Wendte.
Gieseking Funeral Home, Altamont is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences may be expressed by clicking here.