Obituary for Verner Dahl

Vern was born on Aug. 31, 1931, in Eveleth, Minnesota, to Oscar and Selma Dahl. He graduated from Eveleth High School and joined the U.S. Air Force where he was a staff sergeant and served in the Korean War. He attended Stout State University earning his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in industrial arts education. While there he met Noel Brown. The two were united in marriage on June 9, 1956, and they had five children.

After living in both California and Iowa for a brief time, the family moved to West Salem in 1965 which would become their permanent home. Along with teaching industrial arts at West Salem High School Vern also taught driver’s education, did building projects for the school in summers, and did carpentry, renovations and home repair for many people in the area. Vern instilled his love of adventure and travel in his kids with family camping trips to the western United States and Canada.

After retiring from teaching he worked in maintenance at his church for several years and continued his carpentry work well into his 80s. He enjoyed golfing, riding on his Harley, and in 2019, he was honored for his military service with a trip to Washington D.C. on the Freedom Honor Flight. He and his wife traveled and enjoyed spending time with grandchildren and in the last few years, great-grandchildren.

Vern will be remembered for his steadfast faith in God, his joy in his children and grandchildren, his love of learning, his amazing woodworking talent and his interest in meeting new people and hearing their stories.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife of 64 years, Noel; brothers, Herb and Arthur; sister, Judy and her husband, Armondo Lanari; infant sister, Gladys; and brother and sister-in-law, Barc and Jeanine Brown.

He is survived by sons, Mark (Marilyn), David (Susan) and Richard (Julie); daughters, Lisa (David) Johnson and Janet; 13 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren with two more on the way; brother-in-law, Robert (Margaret) Brown; sister-in-law, Peggy Dahl; and many nieces and nephews.

A private family service will be held on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at Christ is Lord Lutheran Church in Onalaska. Pastor Jonathan Unverzagt will officiate.