Dale Hanke

Dr. Dale LeRoy Hanke, 85, of Mankato, passed away Monday, September 13, 2010, at the Laurels Peak Rehabilitation Center.

Dale was born to Roy and Freda Hanke on January 25, 1925, in Brownsville, Minnesota. He attended grade school in Brownsville and graduated from the Caledonia High School, Caledonia, Minnesota. He was a 1945 graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and received his Masters of Arts degree in 1950 and his Doctor of Education in 1962, both from the University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming.

On June 14, 1947, he was united in marriage to Donna J. Gutteboe in Capron, Illinois. During their 63 years of marriage they lived and worked in many communities in Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming and Minnesota. Dale was an educator for 46 plus years, serving as a teacher, coach, band director, school superintendent, college professor and college administrator.

Dale was a member of Christ the King Lutheran Church, having served at one time as congregational president. He was also president of the Retired Teachers Association of Minnesota (REAM), Lieutenant Governor of Kiwanis International and was on the Minnesota State Board of Community Education. He enjoyed sports, fishing and camping along with traveling the country. He visited all 50 states and many foreign countries. As a young adult Dale played banjo in Hanke's Harmonizers, his family's dance band, and played the bass horn in various old-time dance bands in the LaCrosse, Wisconsin area, and in Sig's Band, a community band in Forest City, Iowa.

Besides his wife, Donna, Dale is survived by daughter Donnelle (Joe) Casler, of Columbia, Missouri, daughter Deanne (Mark) Saari, of Rush City, Minnesota, and daughter-in-law Sandra Block, of Minneapolis, Minnesota and eight grandchildren: David Casler (fiance Kelly Small) of Warrensburg, Missouri, Douglas (Alison) Casler of St. Peters, Missouri, Deborah (Jason) Stanoch of Columbia, Missouri, Jon Hanke (Chris Wick), Chandra Hanke and Anneke (Tapio) Haku, all of Minneapolis, Asha (Gabriel) Hertler of Fargo, North Dakota, and Matthew Saari of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Also surviving Dale are great-grandchildren Connor and Claire Casler, Emma and Jacob Stanoch, Jasper Hanke, and Aila, Jackson and Sabrina Haku. He is also survived by his sister Lois Goetzinger and nephew Mark (Bonnie) Goetzinger and family, all of Caledonia.

Dale, along with his wife, was very involved with the International Student Organization at Minnesota State University and is also survived by his international family, Tom and Lan Li and grandson, Jimmy, St. Michael, Minnesota, and Yoshie and Hiro Kobayashi, Kagoshima, Japan.

Dale was preceded in death by his son, Dale (Lee) Hanke, Jr.; his parents; in-laws, Nels and Mabelle Gutteboe; sister, June Hanke; brothers-in-law, Ervin (Casey) Goetzinger and William Gutteboe; and by two nephews and one niece.

A time of visitation for Dale will be held at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Mankato, on Friday, September 17, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a prayer service led by Pastor John Petersen, beginning at 7:00. A service celebrating Dale's life will be held at Zion Evangelical Church in Brownsville, Minnesota on Monday, September 27, at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church with burial following at the Brownsville Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the International Student Endowment Fund at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Christ the King Music Fund or to the donor's choice.

If Dale met you once, he never forgot you.