Dale Krass 03/24/2026

Dale Krass
October 19, 1949 – March 24, 2026

Dale Krass, 76, passed away peacefully on March 24, 2026 with his wife, Carole, by his side at Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz. after a courageous battle with inclusive body myositis.

Dale Gene Krass was born on October 19, 1949 in Merrill, Wis. to George Henry Krass and Katherine Margaret Mohrland Krass. He was baptized on November 13, 1949 and confirmed on April 7, 1962, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Merrill. He was raised on a small family farm and graduated from Merrill High School in 1967, then attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he pursued an agriculture degree. He was united in marriage to Carole Jean Minder on June 7, 1969.

Dale partnered with his father-in-law, Maynard Minder, to manage a dairy farm in River Falls that he would eventually buy and with Carole raise their four daughters. In 1986, he decided to pursue agricultural farming in Maiden Rock, Wis. Dale and Carole raised their family there until retiring in River Falls in 2025. He spent the final 18 months of his life with his wife of 56 years between their home in River Falls and their winter home in Apache Junction, Ariz.

A lifelong farmer who started at an early age, Dale served in Future Farmers of America in high school and as a teen showed a Blue Ribbon Holstein cow, Bonnie Dean Sarah Ann, at the Lincoln County Fair. With an unparalleled work ethic and an extremely innovative mind, Dale welcomed the endless challenges a farmer faces to fix things that for him included restoring many old John Deer tractors, engineering his own crop sprayer, and even designing a triple-wide lawn mower and a home-made snowblower. He also was an avid hunter on his farm land, although he admitted the reason he would only need one shot was because he knew where the deer were.

Dale loved traveling with Carole that included repeated visits to Hawaii, a biblically historic trip to Israel, and in his later years snow birding each winter in Arizona. Dale enjoyed a hobby of woodworking and honed his skills to make annual Valentine’s gifts for Carole in the shape of a heart uniquely designed for that year. Evenings often were spent playing cards with friends and telling and listening to Ole and Lena jokes. And “Poppers,” of course, relished time spent with his daughters and grandchildren.

Dale is survived by his wife, Carole, of River Falls; children Cathi Hovel (Dave) of Prescott, Wis., Heidi Young (Troy) of Farmington, Minn., Shari Todd (Dan) of River Falls, and Adea Sell (Bill) of Stockholm, Wis.; siblings Alan (Lori) of DePere, Wis., Marilynn (Joe) of Clintonville, Wis., and Randy (Barb) of Chippewa Falls, Wis.; grandchildren Noah Angus of River Falls, Sydnie Angus of Burnsville, Minn., Kobe, Brennan, and Nadia Young of Farmington, and Victoria and Nikolas Sell of Stockholm; sister-in-law Lynn (Gary) of Waupun, Wis., and brother-in-law Dale (Liz) of Sarona, Wis.; nieces, nephews, and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his father-in-law, step father-in-law Earl Anderson, and brother, Edward Krass.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 12 noon at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church (545 Apollo Road) in River Falls.  Visitation will also be Saturday from 10:00 am- 12:00 noon. Arrangements are with Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services.