Dale Busboom

 

ST. JOSEPH — Dale Busboom, who passed away Thursday (Aug. 6, 2020), was born on Aug. 26, 1932, to Hie Busboom and Margaret (Schmidt) Busboom- Anderson.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Cecil.

His brother, Dean, of Austin, Texas, survives. Also surviving is his wife of 67 years, Loretta (Gronewold) Busboom.

Dale grew up on his family farm near St. Joseph. He graduated from St. Joseph High School and went on to serve in the Navy. But after the untimely death of his father, his service was cut short, and he returned home to care for his family and the family farm. He returned to his birthplace that would be his lifelong home. He married his high school sweetheart, Loretta, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Flatville.

They had three children, who survive: Sheila (John) Connolly of White Lake, Mich., Sherrill (Mike) Ruesink of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Steven Busboom of Kalamazoo.

Included among his other beloved survivors are his five grandchildren, Bethany (Antonio) Botello of Lansing, Mich., Grace (Ashwin) Rao of Austin, David Connolly of White Lake, Leah Ruesink of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Tim Ruesink of Madison, Wis. He has two great-grandchildren, Sianna and Tony Botello.

He was a man who had many interests. He loved to fly and considered himself the luckiest pilot in the world to have his own flying strip just outside his back door. He always had at least one airplane to take up on a whim. He never tired of flying or talking about flying or hosting fly-ins. The flying club was his “tribe” and supported him till the end. He enjoyed baseball, later softball, and his family and grandchildren enjoyed several spring training weeks in Florida. He loved SJ-O sports and the Chicago Cubs.

He traveled to Europe to find his roots and reconnect with friends, to Colorado on several ski trips, and frequent treks to Michigan to watch hockey games, tennis matches and musicals (or just about anything his grandchildren were in). He bought a motorcycle and managed to put over 30,000 miles on his bike in the last 10 years of his life. His longest trip was to Sturgis with his good friend, George.

He was an avid reader. He loved Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and was a founding member. The church was the anchor to his week and his life. He was a member of the church choir and the Martin Luther Men’s Choir. His tenor voice will be missed.

He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He gained the respect of everyone he dealt with by his quiet direction.

His family hopes you will remember him fondly as they do: a man who lived with love, integrity and faith, and who extended a hand of friendship to all. He was the salt of the earth, gritty and resilient. His heart laid in the land. His gift to the world: a well-manicured lawn, a smooth landing and a life lived in love and infinite devotion. His flight/journey is not yet finished but is just beginning as he now sings with other tenors perfectly in heaven. But oh, how he will be missed on this earth.

The family wishes to express deepest gratitude for the caring people at his recent home at Autumn Fields Assisted Living for their extraordinary efforts. The support of neighbors and friends, even in these times of COVID-19, has been appreciated.

Visitation will be from 2 to 5p.m. Sunday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 802 E. Douglas St. A funeral service will be held at the same location at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10. Pastor Andrew Jones will officiate. This service will be limited to 80 participants due to COVID-19 restrictions. Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, is in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.