F. Dale Laible

Franklin Dale Laible, 96, of rural Richland Township Marshall County Illinois, died on June 12, 2023 at Carl Health Methodist in Peoria in Illinois. Born on April 24, 1927 on the family farm in Richland Township to the late Franklin and Harriet (Buck) Laible, Dale went to the one room Garfield School and graduated from Washburn High School.

Dale attended the University of Illinois and received a Bachelor’s in Agriculture and was a member of the farmhouse fraternity.  After graduation, Dale was inducted into the United States Army and joined other American soldiers in the Korean War. As a true soldier that was in the battle of Heartbreak Ridge, Dale earned three purple hearts and a bronze star. He came home to work at the Department of Agriculture for the federal government in Washington DC as a researcher who, through animal husbandry, removed dwarfism from the Herford cattle breed. President Eisenhower’s family ranch was one of the cattle farms that he did research at. He also traveled the country with show herds of Cattle, working with many large cattle operations, including Arthur Godfrey and his family’s Ranch.

Dale returned home to the family farm, after the tragic death of his parents, to continue the family tradition with his brother Dean of farming in Richland Township.

Dale was a past president of the Marshall Putnam Oil Company, the parent company to today’s FS. A member of the Marshall Putnam Fair Board for many years, lifetime member of the American legion and the VFW, the Marshall Putnam Farm Bureau, Korean War, veteran’s alliance, American Hereford Association, American Quarter Horse Association, and the University of Illinois alumni Association, He always followed the teams of the University of Illinois, especially basketball.

Horses were the love of his life at one time grazing over 150 head of Quarter Horse on his property. Later in life, he was part of the design team for the Korean War Memorial in Washington DC., eventually taking the honor flight to see the fruits of his labor. Dale was a loved and respected member of the Marshall County farming community imparting his wisdom and knowledge to any farmers young and old.

Dale is survived by his sister Doris Pelz of Metamora; sister-in-law Leta Laible of Toluca; nieces Carol (Wiley) Dummich of South Carolina, Mary (Clint) Widner of South Carolina, Christie (Clark) Ranney of Bloomington, Cathy (Joe) Althaus of Toluca, Crystal (Kevin) Carrithers of Toluca, Julie (Kevin) Lentz, of Toluca, Cindy Judd of Morton, Sue (Chuck) Tanton of Metamora, Debbie (Dan) Phillips of Michigan, Bob (Suzanne) Scudder of South Carolina, Charles Scudder of St. Louis and Chris (Deana) Carson of Washburn, who lived with and cared for him for the last two years. Dale was also preceded in death by his sisters Velda Scudder and Judith Carson, brother Dean Laible and brothers in law Stanley Pelz, Duane Carson, and Robert Scudder.

A visitation for Dale will be held on Friday, June 16, 2023 from 5 to 7 PM at Lenz Memorial Home in Lacon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 17 at 11 AM at Lenz Memorial Home in Lacon with Pastor Robert DeBolt officiating. Burial will be in the Lacon Cemetery immediately following services. Memorials can be made to the Washburn American Legion and online condolences can be left at lenzmemorialhome.com