Bernard Michael Dickey

Ashton, Iowa Bernard Dickey, age 79 of Morris, IL, formerly of Ashton, IA, died Wednesday, April 11, 2007 while visiting family in Marion, SD. Funeral service will be 1:30 PM, Monday, April 16th at the Walton-Roste Funeral Home of Ashton. Burial will follow at the St. Mary Cemetery in Ashton. Visitation will be Monday from 12pm to until the hour of service at Walton-Roste Funeral Home of Ashton. Bernard (Ben) Michael Dickey was born October 20th, 1927 in Ashton, Iowa, the son of Thomas and Helen (Becker) Dickey. He was educated in the Ashton Schools and graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1945. He loved playing sports and played high school basketball and baseball in Ashton. The Dickey family had a farm close to Ashton and Ben shared many happy memories with his parents and siblings of how they grew up and entertained each other on the farm. In 1947, he joined the Navy and was stationed as an electrician on the Third Turret Guns on the USS Alabama during WWII. In 1950, he married Gladys Christians from Little Rock, IA. They bought a farm and moved to Wheaton, MN where Ben played baseball for the Dumont, MN team. Later they moved to Sioux City, IA where he was as a journeyman electrician for Dressed Beef, and Port Neal 1 and 4 and throughout the IBEW Union. He traveled to many states including, IA, NE, SD, and IL working as a journeyman electrician, retiring in 1989. In 1984, he was united in marriage to Zola Darlington in Paoli, IN and they resided in Morris, IL. He was an avid fan of the Morris Redskin football team. He was proud of many things in his life including serving in the Navy in WWII, loving his family, and being a special friend & humanitarian to many. But the one he took the most pride in was spreading the word of the Bible. Ben was a born-again Christian in 1984 and was a member of the 1st Church of the Nazarene in Marseilles, IL. Survivors include his wife Zola (Darlington) Dickey of Morris, IL; two sisters, Helen Manning of Maquoketa, IA and Kathleen (Stan) Jacobsen of White Bear Lake, MN; nine children, Doreen (Marty) Epstein of Marion, SD, Wanda (Ken) Sharp of Morris, IL, Tina (Curt) Warren of Newark, IL, Bonnie (Joseph) Farber of Morris, IL, Fran (John) Noto of Ottawa, IL, Steve (Connie) Dickey of Sioux City, IA, Stuart (Pat) Dickey of Sioux City, IA, Clayton (Marion) Darlington of Morris, IL, and Dan (Brenda) Darlington of Morris, IL; nine grandchildren, Andrea (Stroman) Stodola; Sonya Stroman; Monica, Angela, Daniel and Trisha Dickey; Jennifer (Keegan) Cullenward; Bryan and Kyle Pitkin, and many great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Helen Dickey and Rosella Dickey; a son Michael Dickey; a grandson, Christopher Pitkin; an infant great grandson Cadyn Michael Cullenward; his brothers, Raymond, John, Joseph, Tommy, and James Dickey; and a sister, Mary. Gone but never forgotten!