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Dennis F. Alberts Obituary – 7/10/2010


Dennis Fredrich Alberts, age 81, of Dassel, died Saturday, July 10, 2010, at the Lakeside Health Care Center in Dassel.

He was born Oct. 5, 1928, at Dodge, NE, the son of Carl and Louise (Schwanke) Alberts. Dennis was baptized at home in Dodge, NE, and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont, NE.

Dennis grew up in the Dodge and Fremont areas. He attended public schools in Nebraska and Iowa.

Dennis was united in marriage to Willa Mae TePoel Aug. 18, 1948, in Fremont, NE.

They moved to Dassel in 1954, and Dennis started the DeKalb Hatchery. In 1959, he became the district sales manager for DeKalb Agricultural Association in the poultry division, and was there for 38 years.

Later, he managed Midwest Hatchery in Dassel.

Dennis was a member of the Gethsemane Lutheran Church since 1954.

He was very proud of the fact that he was one of the originators of Red Rooster Day in Dassel.

Dennis enjoyed the outdoors and especially enjoyed growing flowers, water lilies, and aquatic plants. He had a farm where he raised exotic waterfowl, and made many trips to the Arctic to collect wild waterfowl eggs and live birds, often accompanied by his sons, Lynn and Curt. He also shipped birds to Europe and Japan, and traveled to Japan to help set up a farm to raise birds that would be used at an exclusive restaurant in Tokyo.

Dennis had many other hobbies, including collecting and polishing rocks, snowmobiling, hunting, and fishing. He was a true outdoorsman.

Dennis is survived by his wife of 61 years, Willa Mae; sons Lynn (Mary) Alberts of Maple Grove, and Curtis (Riko) Alberts of Rogers; two grandsons, David of Des Moines, IA and Michael of Helena, MT; a sister, Gladys Wiegel of Denison, IA; sister-in-law Alice Alberts of Fremont, NE; and by many relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents; parents; brothers Melvin and Walter; and a sister, Renata.

The funeral service was Wednesday, July 14 at 11 a.m. at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Dassel with the Revs. Steven Olson and John Peterson officiating. Florine Osness was the organist, and soloist Jon Benson sang “On Eagles Wings” and “The Lord’s Prayer.” Congregational hymns were “Amazing Grace” and “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Interment followed at the Dassel Community Cemetery.

Visitation was Tuesday evening, July 13 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Johnson Funeral Home in Dassel, and continued Wednesday for one hour prior to the service at the church.

Casket bearers were David Alberts, Michael Alberts, Robert Alberts, Doug Alberts, Tom Barrett, and Doug Barrett.

The Johnson Funeral Home in Dassel handled the arrangements.

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