Dale Walter Vanderzanden

Dale Walter Vanderzanden, 83, a resident of the North Plains passed away on Thursday morning, May 9, 2019 at his home.
Dale was born on July 6, 1935 in Gales Creek, OR. He was one of seven children born to Walter and Hannah (Vandehey) Vanderzanden. He was raised on the family farm on Jackson School Road. He started working early helping his family on the dairy farm. He attended Hillsboro High School and graduated with the Class of 1953. Dale also attended one year at OSU, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity.
He met his future wife, Barbara McNay, while visiting the "Tip Top" Restaurant in Forest Grove. They soon began dating and following a short courtship they married on July 16, 1955. They made their first home at the little farm house on the family farmstead where they had five of their six children before moving permanently to their current residence; the farm house on Mason Hill Rd in North Plains.
Dale enjoyed a long and full career as a farmer. He was a mentor to countless young men who he hired through the years to help on the farming operation. He had farmed all over the north valley and later primarily on Sauvie Island. He raised a variety of crops over the years including wheat, grass seed, oats, clover, barley, corn. cane berries and Christmas trees. He designed many tools needed for the farm operation including seed concaves. Dale never fully retired from farming, 2018 was to be his last harvest. Dale also enjoyed taking care of the trees in back of the home place. He collected old farm tools and equipment, coming from the generation that could make anything work, Dale excelled at fabrication and building things in his shop. He had worked in his early years with the Hillsboro blacksmith, having turned down the option of taking it over.
He had a great love of the outdoors making many trips for hunting and fishing. He loved his guns and always had a dog or 2 in his life. He played the guitar and harmonica, singing and playing to his family. Dale raised quite a garden and after losing Barbara became a pretty good cook – his specialty was breakfast. He was an active member of his community, and St Edward Catholic Church. He was on many boards over the years including the North Plains School board and Northwest Farm Credit Services, and had achieved many awards. He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Barbara, who passed away on August 3, 2018, his parents and two siblings.
He is survived by his six children and their spouses: Debbie and Greg Hammond of Baker City, OR, Mark and Peggy Vanderzanden of Enterprise, OR, Susan and Matthew Wales of Banks, OR, Diana and Darcy Frederick of Beaverton, OR, Sandra and Michael Sikorski of Pinedale, WY, Matthew and Sarah Vanderzanden of North Plains, OR, thirteen grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren
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