Dale Emert

D ale M. Emert, 91, of Sabetha died Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at the Apostolic Christian Home in Sabetha.

He was born in Home, Kansas on December 15, 1921 to Lloyd “Red” and Margaret “Maggie” (Hatz) Emert.  With his father in the railroad business, the Emert family moved several times including Seneca, Severance, Hamlin and Fairbury, Nebraska.  In 1937, they settled in Sabetha.  Following a successful high school athletic career, Dale graduated from Sabetha High School in May of 1942.

The following July, Dale was drafted into the United States Army, taking basic training at Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma and was transferred to Bedford, England.  His unit trained for the D-Day invasion and was part of the second wave in that conflict in March of 1944.  Before his unit was transferred to Japan, the war ended and he returned home on Christmas day 1945 with numerous medals, badges and citations honoring his service to the country.  He joined the Kansas National Guard in 1948 and served 24 years before retiring as 1 ^st Sergeant in 1972.

Dale married his high school sweetheart, Norma Hennigh on January 6, 1946 at the United Methodist Church in Sabetha.

Following employment at the Chaplin Service Station, he worked at Gilbert Motor Company for seven years.  In 1962, he opened Dale’s Body Shop which he sold to his sons Tom and Dave in 1984.  As a second career he was a school bus driver for 22 years retiring from the Sabetha district in 1999.  He loved children and especially enjoyed transporting his grandkids to various sporting events.  Dale served on the Sabetha Fire Department from August 1953 and was Assistant Fire Chief before retiring in December of 1982.

Dale was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Norma on March 9, 2006; a son, Dave on November 26, 2007; his siblings, Don, Donna Olander, Lucille Mathes, Bob and Marion.

He is survived by a son, Tom Emert (Susan) and daughter–in-law, Debbie Emert both of Sabetha; six grandchildren, Stephanie Morrison (Steve), Melissa Greene (Leon) and Brett Emert (Stephanie) of Overland Park, Kansas; Mark Emert (Anne) of Lawrence, Kansas; Sheli White of Leavenworth, Kansas and Michael Emert (Judy) of St. Charles, Missouri and five great grandchildren, Gavin White, Kirsten Emert, Sam Emert, Sloan Emert and Caroline Morrison; two brothers, Harold “Red” Emert and Darryl “Dutch” Emert both of Sabetha.

Funeral service will be Friday, January 18, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Sabetha.  A visitation will be one hour before service time at the church.  The interment will be made in the Sabetha Cemetery with military honors conducted by the Sabetha V.F.W. Post #7285.  Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church or to the Apostolic Christian Home sent in care of Popkess Mortuary in Sabetha.