William Dale Stabenow

William Dale Stabenow

Dale was born on December 21st, 1930, at 1130 Hudson Road, Ferguson, Missouri, their family home. As a young boy he helped his father at the Stabenow Brothers Service Station in Ferguson, that later became a Shell Station. It was there he learned about cars, mechanics and hard work. He attended Ferguson schools where he met Mary Ann Lemmon at the Christmas Dance when they were freshmen in high school. They were fourteen years old. Dale and Mary Ann dated later in high school. At the age of seventeen, Dale joined the Air National Guard Reserves out of St. Louis Lambert Field. Mary Ann and Dale graduated from Ferguson High School in 1949. He married the love of his life on November 10, 1950. The Air National Guard Reserves were activated in March of 1951 during the Korean War. He achieved the rank of Sergeant. His responsibilities were to supervise and manage airplane supply. He served with the 110th Fighter Squadron at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas, and later to George Air Force Base in Victorville, California. Dale was honorably discharged in September 1952.

After his military service, Dale and Mary Ann returned to the St. Louis Area. Dale worked in welding, auto body, printing and appliance repair. They had three children, Kathy, Randy and Gary. Three children, their activities and keeping their cars running when they were driving, was a full-time job. In 1964 he and Mary Ann started North County Appliance Service. It covered the wider St. Louis region. Mary Ann answered the phone and while he provided trustworthy and competent service. He retired at the age of 71 after a total of forty-seven years in the appliance repair business.

Dale was a man of faith and family. He served his church community with his handy work, committee work and held church leadership positions. He loved building things and had extensive workshops. Taking machines apart and fixing or rebuilding them was his talent. He helped numerous people and organizations utilizing these skills. Dale also had a passion for automobiles. He had many over the years and loved to talk about them all with pride. A forty-acre farm in Laclede, Illinois was purchased in 1971. This was a force in his life. He spent weekends and holidays improving on the land, cultivating it and creating a family gathering get away. Many good times were spent swimming in the pond, roasting marshmallows, playing games and riding four wheelers through the fields. The time and energy he spent there with his wife and family was his joy, especially his tractor and bulldozer.

Dale played golf in a church league, but baseball was his passion. He and Mary Ann attended eighteen consecutive spring seasons in Jupiter, Florida for the St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training. He loved working at Roger Dean Stadium in security at Gate C for sixteen of those years.

Dale lived a full life of 94 years. He and Mary Ann were married 74 years. Dale was the father of three children, grandfather of eleven and great grandfather of eighteen. He will be missed by his family and many friends.

Thank you, God for Dale.

In lieu of flowers please make donations in Dale's Memory to: First Baptist Church of St. Charles, 2701 Muegge Road, St. Charles, MO. 63303