Dick, Anton (1911-2009)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2009 Mar 16 p. 8

Birth date: 1911 Sep1

ANTON DICK

Anton Dick, 97, of Mountain Lake, Minn., died Feb. 23, 2009. He was born Sept. 1, 1911, to John K. and Helena (Buhler) Dick on a farm between Mountain Lake and Delft.

He was baptized and joined Carson Mennonite Brethren Church, where he was a member until the church closed in 2005. He then joined Community Bible Church in Mountain Lake. He attended the District 80 West country school through the eighth grade.

On July 12, 1938, he married Viola Wiens. They moved to Delft, where he owned and operated a blacksmith shop. In 1942 they moved to his home farm, and he took up farming as his primary vocation. In 1943 he injected new vigor into the farm by diversifying to include a turkey enterprise, which he managed until he retired. Later they moved to Viola’s 160-acre home farm, which he operated until his retirement and initiated a turkey laying hen business. After retirement they spent 10 winters in McAllen, Texas, where he often joined men who went into Mexico to do construction and repair work at an orphanage. He spent time in Italy and Japan assisting with construction projects for relatives of Viola who were missionaries.

For a number of years he was a pianist for the Carson Male Chorus, which had a weekly radio broadcast. At the Carson church he served as a trustee, deacon, Sunday school treasurer and member of the building committee when the church moved from rural Carson Township to Delft.

After retirement he pursued woodworking. He made items for the annual MCC sale in Sioux Falls. At age 82 he developed an interest in leaded glass and took classes in Windom to develop this skill.

Survivors include his wife, Viola; three sons, Mervin and his wife, Jane, of Frederick, Colo., Ronald and his wife, Sandra, of Virginia, Minn., and James and his wife, Diane, of Mountain Lake; a daughter, Loretta Larson and her husband, Bernard, of St. Paul; 10 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, John, Waldo and Orlando; his sister, Agatha Boldt; and a grandson, Perry Dick.