Dale E. Gilbert

Dale Elmer Gilbert

     In the early morning hours of January 8, 2024, Dale Elmer Gilbert, almost 95 years old, passed peacefully, having earlier proclaimed that he was working hard in God’s Garden, trimming the flowers and vegetables with his pocket knife.

     Dale worked hard and played hard. He reflected his generations awesome work ethic. He usually wanted everything done yesterday and he never slowed down. In recent years, he kept everyone scrambling to keep up with his escapades. His kids were amazed that he could get around with so many health issues, but he was busy until passing. Whether sharing the bounty of his enormous garden, fishing, snowmobiling, welding, and even bagging an elk this fall, he was always the Energizer Bunny extraordinaire. His pump service legacy continues into the second and third generation.

     Dale enjoyed his healthcare providers who became his close friends and a huge thank-you goes out to these wonderful people: Dr. Martens, Dr. Christensen, Dr. Brown, Dr. Spencer, Becca, Katlan, Cassie, Julie, Ally, and Brian. The family is forever grateful to his caregiver, Kori, for her above and beyond care and love for him.

      To sum up his life, the following is in his own words, written last year: “Wednesday I will turn 94 years old. I was born in Teton Basin on February 22, 1929 on Bitch Creek in a log cabin. My grandpa hooked up the team of horses to the bobsled, put Granny in the sled and headed for the cabin to midwife. She was a midwife on the Oklahoma Indian Reservation from a young woman until she married grandpa. She was crippled in both feet, I loved her. At 4 years old, dad moved our belongings to Hagerman with a team and wagon. I started school in Hagerman and moved to Wendell in the 7th grade. My first job was working on a dredge and mossing the canals with a caterpillar at the age of 12. I worked general construction for MK. I was the youngest man on the job, running my own crew, from 20 to 30 men working for me. There were 3 crews with one working, one coming and one going. They were headed to California during the great migration after the war. Then I decided to quit the job and caught a train home out of Wyoming and started chasing my wife, Gloria. I caught her, started my own well drilling business and lived happily ever after with Gloria, snowmobiling, fishing and raising 4 children.”

     Dale is survived by: his sister - Lesha (Stan) Payton; his children - Cathy Gilbert (Wendell Johnson); Steve Gilbert (Kathy); Tammy Gilbert (Arthur Tunik); son-in-law - Scott Kegelman; 6 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

     He was preceded in death by: his parents - Elmer and Bernice Gilbert; his wife - Gloria Joy; his sister - Mert Schrenk; and his daughter - Debreh Gilbert.

     A celebration of life will be held Saturday, April 27, 2024  at 11:00 am at the Wendell Cemetery.

     Cremation arrangements are under the care and direction of Demaray Funeral Service – Wendell Chapel.

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