Terry Denstad Obituary, Death – After being admitted to the hospital for a relatively short period of time, Terry Denstad passed away on Friday, January 1, 2021 in Caledonia, Minnesota. He had lived in this world for a total of 90 years, 8 months, and 21 days when he passed away after looking into the new year.
He was the son of Anton and Alma (Lee) Denstad and was born on April 11, 1930 in Caledonia, Minnesota. Along with his first cousin Josfin (William) Kissinger and his older brothers Durward and Lee Denstad, he spent his formative years on the family farm located just outside of the village.
On the farm, Dale honed his manual dexterity and picked up skills that would serve him well throughout his life. He went to Caledonia High School, where he was a standout on the football field and where he also first became acquainted with Gladys Beardmore, who was from rural New Albin. On May 23, 1950, Dale and Gladys were united in marriage at the Immanuel Lutheran church located in Caledonia.
They welcomed their first son, Gary, during that first year of their married life, which they spent on Dale’s family farm. Soon after that, Dale obtained employment with Trane, and as a result, the couple relocated to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, for a period of time before moving in with Gladys’s parents to assist with the operation of their family farm in Winnebago township.
Dale and Gladys were blessed with two more sons, Rick and Terry, in the years that followed the birth of their first child. In the spring of 1970, Dale and his family uprooted their lives and moved to Caledonia, where they resided for a number of years on Marshall Street. Dale worked as a salesman for Harvestore while also supervising the construction of Starlite Lanes bowling alley at the same time.
After the construction was finished, he worked at the bowling alley continuously until 1980, when he finally decided to sell it. Dale and Gladys remained residents of Caledonia until 2006, when they made the move to New Albin in the state of Iowa. Dale was someone who was open to new experiences and never let fear stop him from seizing opportunities in life.
He was outgoing, held firm convictions, and was quick to offer assistance when it was needed. He delighted in engaging others in humorous banter and anecdotes, spending time at his boat house, working behind the bar at the Shellhorn, and hosting gatherings for his family. He was a big fan of chocolate, sun tea, and the music of the Big Band era, which was popular during his youth.
Along with Gladys, he went on vacation to Las Vegas, New Orleans, Calgary, the Bahamas, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition to that, he went to Norway all by himself to visit his relatives there. Up until the very end, he was a veritable treasure trove of information, vividly recalling dates and specifics of the history of both his family and the local community.
Everyone who knew and loved him is suffering a great loss as a result of his passing. In June of 2020, Dale’s wife Gladys passed away, which marked the end of their life together.