Dale Hatfield

VISITATION:

12 p.m. - 1 p.m., Friday, May 18 at the Chapel of the Resurrection, Chippewa Manor, 222 Chapman Rd., Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

MEMORIAL SERVICE:

1 p.m., Friday, May 18 at the Chapel of the Resurrection

Dale S. Hatfield, 93, of Chippewa Falls, village of Lake Hallie, died Monday, May 14, 2012 at Chippewa Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation in Chippewa Falls.

He was born January 30, 1919 in the town of Colburn, Chippewa County to Myrtle (Lee) and J. Arthur Hatfield. He was raised in Cornell and graduated from Cornell High School in 1940.

Dale enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked and served from 1941 until 1945, when he was honorably discharged. While serving, he was stationed in India and flew supplies to China. After just six weeks, his plane went down over Burma. It took a week for all who were on board to make their way back to camp after bailing out over the mountains. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Dale married Ruth Willmarth on December 24, 1943 in Cornell. He was employed at the Cornell Paper Mill. They moved to Eau Claire where he was employed at Presto and Gillette Tire Company. In 1950, Dale and Ruth moved to Hallie, where they have lived since that time. While in Chippewa Falls, Dale worked at the Chippewa Woolen Mill for many years and then at the Northern Center for the Developmentally Disabled from 1962 until 1984, retiring as an Orthopedic Appliance Technician.

Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Ruth of Hallie; three daughters, Elaine Ann (Randy) Matott of Cadott, Lorna Jean Canfield, Jane Marie (Roger) Rihn, all of Chippewa Falls; a son, Kenneth Dale Hatfield of Fort Stockton, Texas; two sisters, Ruth (Victor) Jiskra of Holcombe, Maxine (Eldon) Johnson of Rice Lake, nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Bernice Keiser and Arleen Jiskra; three brothers, Lloyd, Roger and Lawrence Hatfield; and a son-in-law, Kenneth M. Canfield.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, May 18 at the Chapel of the Resurrection at the Chippewa Manor in Chippewa Falls with Rev. Robert Hoeskstra and Fr. Brian Konopa, officiating. Interment with military honors provided by the Chippewa Falls Patriotic Council will be in Prairie View Cemetery, village of Lake Hallie.

Friends may call one hour prior to the service Friday at the Chapel of the Resurrection.