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  John L. Dell, age 75, of Starbuck, passed into the next life surrounded by love, at his daughter’s house in Glenwood, on Sunday, October 13, 2024, after a brief but courageous battle with lung cancer. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Thursday, October 24th at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Lowry, with Rev. Bryan Taffe officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00 - 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 23rd, at Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood, and will resume on Thursday at the church, one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Glenwood Cemetery. Arrangements are with Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home of Glenwood.

   John Lee Dell was born in Bellevue, Iowa on May 17, 1949 to parents Myron J. and Iva M. (Benton) Dell. He was one in a long line of farmers raised on his family’s farm outside of Maquoketa, Iowa. John became connected to the earth and discovered his love of farming at an early age. He was also introduced to long-haul trucking at an early age by a close family friend. And so, it was then that farming and trucking became the cornerstones of his work life. In this way, he was a very lucky man to spend his lifetime doing work he loved.

   John attended Esgate Country School located near his family’s farm until 6th grade when it, and the last of the other one room country schools, were closed. John’s time at Esgate became one of his life-long special memories. He attended junior high school in Maquoketa until he moved with his family to Hackensack, MN in 1964, where he spent his teenage years helping his parents run their family resort, Sleepy Hollow Lodge, on Woman Lake. He attended Walker High School where he graduated in 1967.

   At the age of 25, John had the opportunity to purchase a farm with his father in Starbuck, and that is where he made his home for the following fifty years, earning his living by farming and over-the-road trucking.

   In 1987, John met the love of his life, Judy Reichert Marrin. They were married in 1999 and remained together until Judy passed in 2023. Together, they blended their families and were the proud parents of five children: Karie, Kristina, Melissa, Dwight and Kayla. John was a devoted husband and father, always making sure that his family was well taken care of.

   In his free time, John had many interests and hobbies that kept him busy. Each spring he and Judy planted a large garden that they enjoyed tending and took extreme pride in, especially when a bountiful harvest enabled them to share their produce with the community. John also loved to tinker in his shop, whether it was working on his tractors, building things with wood, or enjoying some cocktails with his son-in-law, friends, or other company that stopped by to visit. The shed at his home holds lots of stories, memories and love.

   In John’s later years, his biggest pride and joy were his grandchildren. He loved to brag about their accomplishments, intelligence, and success. He started an annual summer tradition with his daughter, Kayla and her family of traveling back to Woman Lake where he spent his teenage years. There he passed on many stories of fishing, working at their family’s resort, waterskiing and all the joys of growing up while living on a lake. He was truly at peace when he would return “up north”, and you could see the joy on his face as he watched his daughter, son-in-law and grandsons enjoy the very lake that he grew up on. Over the years of vacationing there, the circle expanded to include his and Judy’s nieces and their families, and he had great pride in knowing that he had shared the beauty of Woman Lake with so many people. John loved his family and friends deeply and will be greatly missed for his kind spirit, generous soul and thoughtful nature.

   He is survived by his daughters Karie (John) Churilla of Kabetogama, Kristina (Darrell) Ingebretson of Sturgis, SD, Melissa Fox of Phoenix, AZ, Kayla (Josh) Geister of Glenwood; son, Dwight Dell of Colorado Springs, CO; 14 grandchildren: Benjamin, Joseph and Henry Churilla, Dominick Fox, Alexander Ingebretson, Kayla Hoheisel, Myranda and Samantha Ingebretson, Nathaniel and Riley Dell, Nicholas and Michael Geister, Ava and Lyra Dell; 4 great-grandchildren: Miles, Maverick and Marli Hoheisel, and Nora Lu Beck; his sister, Sherry Dell (Dan Rundgren) of Hood River, OR; and brother, Philip Dell of Hood River, OR; brother-in-law, Michael (Robin) Reichert; along with numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and many lifelong friends.

   He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Judy; his wife’s sister, Suzanne Muralt and her husband, Jay.

   To send online condolences, visit hoplinhitchcockfuneralhome.com

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