Dale W. Brandenburger's Obituary
Mr. Brandenburger operated two local farms in Millstadt and was an avid hunter and sportsman, enjoying coon, deer and bear hunting. Drafted to the Army during the Korean War, Dale served as a licensed optician stationed in St. Louis until 1953 and achieved Corporal rank. Dale was best known as owner of Pioneer Plott Hound Kennels. He shipped dogs to all 50 states in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Nova Scotia and South America, and served as charter member and past president of the National Plott Hound Association. Seven of his dogs were inducted into the Plott Hall of Fame. Dale was the owner of the first United Kennel Club World Champion hound. He served on the UKC Board of Directors for 10 years and was a Breed Representative on the Advisory Committee for 3 years. Dale was a founding member of the Millstadt CoonhunterÆs Association and served many years as writer of Rules Corner in American Cooner magazine. Dale was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel in 1966 and received the Methvan Big Game award in 1967. Dale retired from the Plott business in the early 1990s, and took up the hobby of building and selling washer games and enjoyed a long and fulfilling retirement. Dale was a devoted Cardinals fan. He was a longtime member of Zion Evangelical Church in Millstadt, and recently celebrated his 70 year Broad Hollow Grange membership. Dale was preceded in death by his parents, Alex G. and Florence K., nee Schmiedlin, Brandenburger and brothers Ralph Waldo (Sadie), twin brothers Glen (Vernell) and Clifford, Roy (Lorraine), sister Doris (Homer) Walston, brother-in-law Jim Hill, and his twin brother Delmar who passed one day before Dale allowing them to enter GodÆs kingdom together. Also preceded in death by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Rudolph and Marie Etling, and his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Norma and Oliver Franke. Surviving is his wife of 61 years, Shirley Jean, nee Etling, and his three daughters all from Millstadt: Lori (James) Becherer, Sharon (Dewayne) Holloway, Jeri (Jonathan) Arnold, grandchildren Paige and Joseph Mundy and Brady and Evan Arnold, sister Virginia Hill of Freeburg, sister-in-law Bernadine Brandenburger of Effingham and sister-in-law Arlene Brandenburger of Smithton and many nieces and nephews. The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Zion Evangelical Church, Millstadt IL, or to Vitas Hospice of Fairview IL. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.straussfuneralhome.com.
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