Dale Bleess

Dale William Bleess, born July 2, 1950 to Norbert and Helen (Nenaber) Bleess in Blue Earth, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 8, 2024 surrounded by loved ones at St. Luke’s Lutheran Care Center in Blue Earth, Minnesota.  A Mass of Christian burial will be at 11AM Thursday April 18 at SS Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Blue Earth with Fr. Jeff Dobbs officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday April 17 from 4-7PM at Patton Funeral Home and continue one hour before the service at the church. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery. 

As a staple in the Blue Earth community, Dale was a member of St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church serving on Church Council, many years on the Cemetery Board, and a member of the Knights of Columbus.  He graduated from Blue Earth High School in 1968. Dale then pursued a career as a chef after graduating from Food Service School in 1969, but ultimately found his greatest enjoyment in Barber College as he graduated in 1978. He married one of his High School classmates, Karen Hamre, on July 28, 1990 in Blue Earth, and celebrated 33 wonderful years together of laughter and happiness.

As a barber in Blue Earth for 41 years, Dale was a lynchpin in the community making friends with many of his customers as he laughed, conversed, and bragged about his grandsons to all that graced his chair.  Dale loved many things from refinishing and collecting antiques to watching his grandsons play baseball and football to countless trips to flea markets, auctions, Juba’s Supervalu, and Kwik Trip. Dale left a lasting impact as a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, and the friendly-neighborhood barber. He will be greatly missed by all that love him.

Dale is survived by his stepdaughter, Sheila (Chad) Schonrock of Blue Earth, MN; grandsons, Tyler (Amanda) Schonrock of Oregon, WI, Nicholas (Aubrey) Schonrock of Owatonna, MN, and Zachary Schonrock of Blue Earth, MN; great-grandson Caleb Schonrock of Oregon, WI; brothers: Dave (June) Bleess of Blue Earth, MN, Doug (Ardeen) Bleess of St. Michael, MN, sister: Diane (Greg) Holland of Blue Earth, MN,  sister-in-law Kay Hanevik of Monument, CO.; many nieces, nephews, and close friend Dr. Gene (Carol) Greimann of Montana.  

He was preceded in death by his loving wife Karen, his stepson, Clay Mohr; parents, Norbert and Helen Bleess; sisters: Deloris Bleess and Darlene Rauenhorst; brother-in-laws: Donald Rauenhorst and Doug Hanevik, and nephew John Paul Rauenhorst.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Dale’s memory may be made out to St. Luke’s Care Center, UHD Hospice, or Calvary Cemetery in Blue Earth.