Dale Siems

DALE M. SIEMS Charles City Dale M. Siems, 90, of Onamia, Minn., and a former resident of Charles City, Iowa, died Friday, May 19, 2017, at the Long-Term Care Center of the Mille Lacs Health System, Onamia, in the arms of two of his children. A Minnesota memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day), at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Malmo. Pastor Terry Frovik will officiate. A June 24 funeral in Charles City is planned for 1 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, followed by a luncheon at the church at 2 p.m. Per his wishes, Dale was cremated, and burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Charles City, alongside his former spouse of 40 years, Gladys M. Ames Siems. Dale and his twin brother, Delbert "Del" were born Aug. 12, 1926, the sixth and seventh of 12 children born to August and Ella Block Siems who lived near Hansell, Iowa. Through an unusual set of circumstances, the twins were separated at birth, reared apart, but reunited as true twin brothers when they were about 22. Dale grew up in Sheffield, Iowa, with his 10 other siblings and graduated from Sheffield High School in 1943; he was president of his class. Dale subsequently enlisted in the U.S. Army, trained, and was sent overseas to fight in World War II. In 1955, Dale subsequently started his Sherman Nursery career under the direction of C.C. (Smitty) Smith. He started at Sherman Nursery as the company's credit manager, working his way up to president and CEO of the company, a title he held for many years until he retired in 2007. Dale also was president of the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association in 1981 and 1982. He was named an INLA honorary member and was inducted into the INLA Hall of Fame in 1986. Dale served as president of the Western Nursery and Landscaping Association in 1975. He also served as board president of the Iowa Arboretum and was instrumental in gathering resources to build the state-of-the-art greenhouse at the Arboretum in Madrid, Iowa. Dale was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, the Charles City Country Club, Elks Club and Kiwanis Club. He was an avid fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Green Bay Packers. Even though he and Gladys divorced in 1987, they reunited as friends in later years. After he relocated to Isle/Malmo in 2012, he became a member of a men's group and Malmo's Bethesda Lutheran Church. Living family members include a twin brother, Delbert "Del" (Dee) Block of Cedar Rapids; a brother, Edward Siems of Sheffield; and numerous nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Dale was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers, five sisters, and former spouse, Gladys Siems. The family would like to express deep gratitude to all of the caregivers who helped Dale and them through this very difficult time. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to Long-Term Care of the Mille Lacs Health System or Lake Song Assisted Living, both in Onamia.