- Date Of Birth: June 13, 1920
- Date Of Death: December 25, 2010
- State: Idaho
Dale Josephson, 90, passed away peacefully with loved ones by his side in Bellingham, WA on Saturday, December 25, 2010. Dale was born June 13, 1920 in Driggs, Idaho to Ephraim Arnold Josephson and Amanda Catherine Jacobsen. He married the love of his life, Eva Faun Burnside, on October 13, 1941. She was a “spitfire” and a “hand full”. The town members marked their calendars with the wedding date and swore it would never last. They were married for 69 years. Dale and Eva had three children: Randy, Daren and Cheryl.
Dale loved music, playing guitar, piano and trumpet by ear. In his youth, he played at local dances.
Early in their marriage, Dale and Eva farmed grain on their Driggs ranch, with the help of their work horses Pat and Mike. They also milked cows, raised chickens and sold eggs. When possible, they sold eggs hoping to earn enough to go to the movies on Saturday nights. Dale worked hard all his life, making many sacrifices to support his family. During the war, Dale mined coal in Utah and spoke of stifling heat, overwhelming cacophony, and oppressive darkness. He helped build Palisades Dam where he suffered a “headache” – a falling boulder that broke his femur. Later, Dale began his career of over 30 years as a heavy equipment oiler and mechanic, helping to build roads in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana with Peter Kiewitt, Galey, and Western Construction. For several of those years, he lived apart from his family, calling a small camper on the job “home” and working many graveyard shifts to provide a comfortable life for his wife and three children. Dale was also a proud longtime member of the Operating Engineers Union “Local #370”.
After his dearest Eva died in August 2010, Dale moved to Bellingham, WA to be near his daughter, Cheryl, and granddaughter, Kelly. He loved his new home, making many new friends and enjoying trips to Mt. Baker’s Artists’ Point, Deception Pass, Bowman Bay and Bellingham Bay.
Dale is preceded in death by his parents; two brothers and two sisters; his wife, Eva; infant son, Don; son-in-law, Brent Patrick; and grandson, Kasey Patrick. Dale is survived by sister, Elda; brother, Larry; sons, Randy and Daren; daughter, Cheryl; and granddaughter, Kelly. They will all miss his sly smile, understated sense of humor, debonair demeanor, and gentle soul.
