Dale Van Der Wege Obituary

Merry Christmas dad, I love you and miss you! Wish you were here with us but know your in a happier, more peaceful place.
Marcia

hi dad!
it's been one year since you went to heaven, it will be at 11:57 p.m. I really miss you and can't believe it's been this long. I think about you all the time. The grief and sadness is still within my heart, but is getting a little easier. I look at your picture often and shed a view tears, but only because I miss you so. Went to your grave sight today and stayed until 11:57 a.m. since they close everything at night and I'm sure they would not let me in at night. Wish I could go there at the time of your death, but can not. Hope you enjoyed the music, especially ave maria sung by pavoratti.(ha ha) bet you really enjoyed my elvis tape, peace in the valley and I'll never walk alone. I know I did. Zorro my dog didn't appreciate the loud music, but I prayed and listened to my music, and it gave me peace, especially when the deer ran through the cemetary and were grazing on the grass. I saw a hawk flying over head and two little winter birds flying and playing around. The sky was so blue today and the clouds were so white and fluffy, just like if you were sitting up there and watching over me, and taking all the beauty of the day in. An airplane was also very high up in the sky, leaving trails of white fluffy smoke and tails all over the heavens. It was such a peaceful hour and a half spent with you and the beauty. I left a few flowers for you from me and Wava, and put a little note on it from us. Imiss and love you daddy. Please continue watching over me and Azjia, we need your help and prayers. Bye for now.
Marcia

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! DAD! Today is not going to be the same, without you here with us. I sure miss you and think of you often, you're in my prayers always. miss you so much dad! luv u! marcia

Happy Easter Dad! It's your 1st Easter away from us all. Oh how I miss you. Me and Azjia spent the day alone, so it was kind of lonely. We went to mass today and the sermon was great. I think of you often and wish you were here. I miss your strength and always miss that I could lean on you when need be. Please watch over me and Azjia, keep giving us strength, and please put a good word in for us, with our heavenly Father. I miss you and love you. Until we meet again, your daughter, Marcia

Hi dad, can't believe you've been gone for almost two months from us. I think of you every day, and miss you so much. Today is January 24, 2008, you and mom's 64th wedding anniversary. I know you'll be giving mom an extra hug today. Please watch over her today and give her a special kiss on her cheek from you and all the angels with you up in heaven. Please watch over me and all your family left here on earth. I miss you and love you, until we meet again. your daughter, Marcia.

To My Dearest Grandpa,
It is still hard to believe that you are gone. I miss you so much. I think about you everyday. The silliest things make me think of you, like a song on the radio, or cooking ham and thinking how you used to make the best hamhock and beans. It is also hard to think that you only got to see Ayden once and that he will never get to know what a wonderful grandpa you were. I was fortunate enough to get to spend alot of time with you growing up over summers and weekends. You were more like my dad then my grandpa. I have so many memeories of you that alot of the other grandchildren didn't get to have. Like the time you were fixing something on the side of the house and you told me to go and get your glasses and I was upset with you about something and when I brought them to you I was scrapping them along the sidewalk scratching up the lenses. I'm sure you could of just killed me but you didn't. And how when I moved to Albuquerque you would wait for me to come up and cut your hair and sometimes it was pretty long because you wouldn't let anyone else cut it. You told everyone including grandma that you were waiting for your barber to come up from Albuquerque. I love you so much. I wish you were still here. I can't belive that Ayden will never know you. I know you are in a better place. But I want to be selfish I want you here. I take comfort in knowing that you are no longer suffering but it is still hard. It is hard to go over to your house because I see you everywhere. I see you sitting on the sidewalk in the front yard watching a single cornstalk growing that you planted and were so proud of and how silly I thought you were. You were always such the comedian. I had a dream that you came to me in your gray golf hat and sweater that you always and I mean always wore and you told me not to be sad that you were where you want to be. However, It is still hard not to physically see you. I know that one day we will all be together again and I know that you, Donna, and Gene are up there looking down on us and that you guys are all happy because you are together. I also take comfort in that they were waiting for you and that you are not alone. I am also glad that you are no longer in pain. I hated to see you suffer for so long. Until we are together again for eternity I will think of you often and always remember the great advice you use to give and how caring and loving you were towards everyone and how willing you were to help your fellow man. I will miss you and love you until we can be together again. Give Donna and Gene a hug for me.
Love Always,
Heather

Dear Grandpa,
I will greatly miss you. I will truly treasure all of the many phone conversations that we had over the years. I am so greatlfull for all the memories I have from when I was a little girl. I enjoyed all of the car rides up to the mountains with the family and the many christmas eves when the young ones had to hide in your bedroom for Santa to come. My memory of you dealing with politics was going from house to house in Colorado Springs helping you pass out pamphlets to neigbors for a politician who was running for office. I don't remember his name or what he was running for. I just remember the time spent with you and Carolyn helping too. I am so thankful and truly was so happy when you and grandma drove out from Colorado to be at my wedding. This is a day I will treasure forever. Thank you for being there for me grandpa. I am going to miss your wisdom and your strong spirit. Thank you for loving me and for all the wonderful memories. It is through these memories of all of us that you will live on forever in our hearts. Rest in Peace and say hello for me to my daddy. I love you!! Love forever, Debbie:)

To my one and only dad. My dad was born in Logan, Kansas, and was raised in Prairie View, KS, a town founded by his ancestors. He married Evelyn in January, 1944. He was a loving husband and father of ten, 5 boys and 5 girls. Dad was in the Army Air Corp(now the Air Force). He owned an appliance store in Norton, KS. In 1954 he loaded up his family (and I mean loaded up his family) and moved to Colo Spgs. Dad and mom joined Sacred Heart Church, where he helped build Sacred Heart School, where their children went to school, where his name along with other parishoners are on the honor roll plaque hanging in the now, parish center. Dad was a fireman at the Air Force Academy even before it was built, and was only Federal Lands. Dad watched for brush fires, and brought me and my siblings,home, the rattles off rattle snakes he had killed, and told us stories about the bears he saw and supposedly killed while watching for fires. Dad was hurt in a big fire at Austin Bluffs, when a huge house, called the piano house, caught fire. Dad was disabled after that. He owned an apt. house on the westside, where he was always willing to help people, even some who couldn't afford the rent. He was always involved in politics and also had a hot line to governor Lamm, a personal friend. He was the man who got the heat rebate for seniors and that rebate to this day is still on the Colorado State Income Tax forms. He was one of the founders of the Leap Program, and started the Billy Speilman Center, along with others on the Westside. Dad was always active in the social issues and Peace and Justice Commission. Dad was always concerned about his fellow man, and loved his Religion and his God. I know he's in Heaven now, with his daughter, Donna, who passed on Thanksgiving, who was waiting for dad, with open arms, along with his son Gene,who died, Dec 28, 1994, his daughter Marita, who died at 9 days old, on Dec 1, 1952, and all his relatives and friends. St. Peter had those pearly gates wide open for my dad. I will miss you and love you, but you're with Jesus now. Rest in Peace Dad! and Good-bye, until we meet again. One of your five loving daughters. You were one of my strengths, thank-you, for being my dad. Love Marcia

Great grandpa I remember how you always loved to see me when I would come to visit you and Great grandma. I always seemed to have put a great smile on your face and I will miss seeing your smile and I will miss hearing your voice. I will miss you and you are with Donna now and I will see you again some day and I will see your wonderful smile and hear your voice again one day to come, love your great grandaughter Azjia

To our father Dale Van Der Wege You always will be a part of our lives. We always will miss you and your uniqueness. On this Christmas Eve may we reflect back on many Christmas Eves of the past and remember a father in our childhood putting gifts under a tree and ushering us past them to go to midnight mass when all we wanted was a warm bed and our xmas gifts.But instead he gave us the gifts of worship and giving.You had such strong beliefs in so many areas that fortunately some has rubbed off on a few of us. Thank you for being that person.We love you Always and we know you are "At peace at last" Your Family Wava Donna Eldon Marcia Marita Steven Duane Gene Dale Carolyn

To my dearest family, some things I'd like to say...
but first of all, to let you know, that I arrived okay.
I'm writing this from heaven. Here I dwell with God above.
Here, there's no more tears of sadness; here is just eternal love.

Please do not be unhappy just because I'm out of sight.
Remember that I'm with you every morning, noon and night.
That day I had to leave you when my life on earth was through,
God picked me up and hugged me and He said, "I welcome you."

It's good to have you back again; you were missed while you were gone.
As for your dearest family, they'll be here later on.
I need you here badly; you're part of my plan.
There's so much that we have to do, to help our mortal man."

God gave me a list of things, that he wished for me to do.
And foremost on the list, was to watch and care for you.
And when you lie in bed at night, the day's chores put to flight.
God and I are closest to you....in the middle of the night.

When you think of my life on earth, and all those loving years
because you are only human, they are bound to bring you tears.
But do not be afraid to cry; it does relieve the pain.
Remember there would be no flowers, unless there was some rain.

I wish that I could tell you all that God has planned.
But if I were to tell you, you wouldn't understand.
But one thing is for certain, though my life on earth is o'er.
I'm closer to you now, than I ever was before.

There are many rocky roads ahead of you and many hills to climb;
but together we can do it by taking one day at a time.
It was always my philosophy and I'd like it for you too...
that as you give unto the world, the world will give to you.

If you can help somebody who's in sorrow and pain,
then you can say to God at night......"My day was not in vain."
And now I am contented....that my life has been worthwhile,
knowing as I passed along the way, I made somebody smile.

So if you meet somebody who is sad and feeling low,
just lend a hand to pick him up, as on your way you go.
When you're walking down the street, and you've got me on your mind;
I'm walking in your footsteps only half a step behind.

And when it's time for you to go.... from that body to be free,
remember you're not going.....you're coming here to me.

Ruth Ann Mahaffey (author)
©Copyright 1998-2007

To My Dearest Father, Dale L. Van Der Wege

Dad. . . .

Oh, where do I start? There is so much to say as to what you meant to me.

From the time I was very small, you provided me your comfort, support and security. As a very small child I would wake in the night and climb into the side of the bed on which you slept with only inches for me to sleep. When I went to kindergarten at age five, I was stuck in the corner for crying for you, my father. As I grew, you continued to comfort, support and provide the security a young child needed.

When I was seventeen you came to a party I was at and escorted me out. (Of course I didn’t know you knew I was there). As I told you years later when I looked back at the situation, I was so thankful that you were my father for loving me enough to take me out of a situation that was not in my best interest. As I became an adult, you were always there continuing your loving ways. I could never express enough that you were the best father that I could have ever asked for.

The belly laughs we shared even when others didn’t think what we were laughing about was funny. We had such special connection; our humor, our understanding of one another, and our deep connection with are in-depth conversations. I don’t know how many times people have said “you are so much like your father”. Dad, I could have never asked to have been any different. Thank you for all you contributed to my life and to who I am. As I have always told you “You Are My Favorite Dad”. In my life, I have never known any of my friends or acquaintances speak of their father’s as I have of you. I am so grateful that I can say “You Were the Best Dad I Could Have Ever Asked For.” Your kindness shown to me and to others, your generosity when in need, your strong beliefs in peace and justice for all, your strong convictions of non-violence will always be instilled in me and have shaped the person that I am.

The last several months of your life will be forever etched into my heart and I would not have changed any moment spent with you. Thank you for being my father and thank you for all you were to me. Rest Peacefully My Beloved Father. Rest Peacefully. I will see you again one day.

Your Loving Daughter

Dale was one of those unique and wonderful men I am so grateful to have met in this life. He was filled with a firey spirit and a deep sense of conviction for the justice and rights of all people, especially those marginalized by the greater society. He was kind, courageous, compassionate, and gracious in all of his actions and I miss his passionate and intelligent dialogues about life, politics and religion. It is at times like this that I am aware of how deeply he touched my life with his generosity,trust and acceptance. It is through Dale, that I have the honor of knowing his beloved wife, Evelyn and lovely daughter, Carolyn who cared so exquisitely for him during his life and his illness. Dale was a great blessing to me and I will always keep him close in my heart.

Finding a new apartment in Colorado Springs is always a challenge, especially for someone with limited income and strong policial beliefs, so I believe it was divine intervention that contected me to Dale. Dale was involved in Justice and Peace long before I was but the more we talked it became evident we had mutual beliefs and shared common friends and acquantances. My apartment quickly became home largely due to the fact that It was here that I was accepted, honored and loved. I feel fortunate to be a member of an extended family, the Vander Weges', and will always bless the day that Dale and I connected. Rest in Peace, dear friend.

LEAP has helped so many childen keep warm in these cold winters.

Thank you