R. Dale Wamstad

Dale was born on September 4, 1936, the son of Palmer Wamstad and Inez Ness of Hatton, ND. He was baptized on October 11, 1936, at Beaver Creek Lutheran Church in rural Hatton, ND. He attended and graduated from Hatton High School in 1954, and immediately following graduation, he joined the Navy, where he served from 1954 to 1957 in Alaska and was medically discharged. Upon leaving the Navy, he went on to college to pursue his love of learning. He graduated from St. John's University in Collegeville, MN, with a Bachelor of Arts in Lutheran ministry and a degree in History and coursework in philosophy. He dedicated his life to Jesus Christ as a Lutheran, and then, as he continued to research and be educated on Christianity, he went on to Grand Forks, ND, to be accepted into the Holy Catholic Church to pursue priesthood. He took further courses at Augsburg College ( a Lutheran College), St. Leonard's College, and the University of Dayton, Ohio. This is to name only a few colleges he attended as he continued to pursue higher education throughout his life, well into his 50s and 60s, auditing classes at Oregon State to continue his love of learning.

Dale loved life, learning, culture, and Jesus Christ. He had a deep and passionate moral sense and commitment to humanism. He traveled all over the country and lived in every kind of culture found in this country. He lived in Florida, Texas, Minnesota, Ohio, and Canada, to name a few, and traveled as much as he possibly could, soaking in all of the knowledge and culture he could. He became a Franciscan Monk and worked with the Navajo Reservations in Arizona, held an Urban Ministry in Dayton, Ohio, and in the 60's, led several liberation movements, including being personally involved in the protest against the oppression of black people led by Martin Luther King. He worked to become a Deacon of the Franciscan order who worked at the port of Galveston, Texas, in the 80's, counseling students and teaching them religion and holding Bible studies. Dale moved to Florida, where he told family it was the best job he ever had. He was a port chaplain, and part of his job was to meet people coming off ships and give them tours of Florida and Disney World. He would send family information and pictures of himself visiting, touring, and enjoying the parks and life. He even hosted his family in Disney World, showing us the best parks, rides, and restaurants. One of his other favorite jobs was as a chaplain aboard Cruise ships. Upon his retirement, he moved to Oregon, where he loved taking in the beauty of the scenery and nature. In all of Dale's travels, he kept in touch with his family by phone and occasionally visited. He loved phone calls to debate politics, sports, and religion. Throughout all of these travels, one thing he always remembered was his classmates. He returned to ND for every class reunion and stayed in touch with his classmates, as they were so important to him. In 2013, Dale returned to Hatton, ND, where he wanted to stay in his hometown and with his family. From 2013 until his death, he resided at the Luther Memorial Nursing Home in Mayville, ND, where he loved playing cards, singing and music, and visiting with family and friends.

Dale is survived by his sister Tami (Dave) Heid of New Salem; nephew Brent (Kerry) Heid of Grand Forks and neice Michele (Sean) Burger of Thompson; great nieces Paige and Taylor Heid, and Grace Burger. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Nicki (Don)Wamstad of Hatton ND; neice Kallie (Ben) Naastad of Hatton and nephew Blake (Jill) Wamstad of Hatton; and neice Haley (Chris) Griffin of Grand Forks; and great nieces and nephews: Rylan and Brekkyn Wamstad, Natalie and Noah Naastad, Brooklyn, Kinsley, and Lydia Griffin. 

Dale was preceded in death by his parents, Palmer and Inez Wamstad; his brothers Richard Wamstad and Don Wamstad.

A Memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 19, 2024, at St. John's Church in Hatton, ND. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service. Dale will be cremated and laid to rest with his parents at a later time and date in the St. John Cemetery in Hatton, ND.