Dale E. Olsen

Dale E. Olsen, age 82, of Hayti, SD, passed away surrounded by his family on Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Sioux Falls, SD.  Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at Hayti Lutheran Church in Hayti, SD. Rev. Randy Eisenbeisz will officiate.  Music will be provided by Lisa Pedersen as organist.

Visitation will be at the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown, SD, on Monday, June 20, 2022, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and prior to services at the church on Tuesday.

Burial will be at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Hayti, SD.  Honorary pallbearers will be all of Dale’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Active pallbearers will be Wyatt Waite, Waylon Waite, Sean Solberg, John Solberg, Previn Solberg and Ross Abraham.

Dale was born on October 29, 1939, in Watertown, SD, to Helmer and Rena (Hansen) Olsen.  He graduated from Hayti High School in 1957 then attended South Dakota State University.  He began working road construction for Lindekugel Construction in Mitchell, SD, and helped build I-29 from Sioux City to Sioux Falls.

On February 25, 1961, Dale married Deanna Waite at Grace Lutheran Church in Watertown.  The couple made their home in the Hayti area where he began farming with his father.  He worked full time farming with his family and picked up a couple part-time jobs on the side; driving semi for LaVern Deberg and carrying the mail.  Dale retired in 2003.

He was a member of the Hayti Lutheran Church. He served on several boards including: the Pleasant View Cemetery Board, the Hayti Farmers Elevator Board, the FHA Board, H-D Electric Board, East River Electric and SDREA State Board and the Basin Electric Board. Dale enjoyed golfing, fishing and hunting.  He liked playing shuffle board, bowling, playing horseshoes, woodworking in his shop and traveling.  Dale and Deanna loved wintering in Arizona.  Dale adored his grandchildren and took pride in making them all toy boxes among many other things.  He had three priorities: faith, family and farming.  He had a passion for renewable energy cooperatives and was known for his perfectly straight corn rows long before GPS was around.

Dale is survived by his wife, Deanna of Sioux Falls, SD; his children: David (Lorie) Olsen of Hayti, SD, Dawn (Terry) Brandt of Mina Lake, SD, Donalynn Olsen of Rapid City, SD, and Daniel Olsen (Sherry Iverson) of Sioux Falls, SD; 14 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren; and his sister, Joan (Loren) Solberg of Grand Rapids, MN.

Dale was preceded in death by his parents and his twin brothers.

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