Lester Eugene "Les" Dalman

Les Eugene Dalman passed away peacefully at home on November 28, 2025, surrounded by his family.

Les was born in Hasty, MN on July 14, 1931, to Martin and Agnes (Gjein) Dalman. The family moved to Maple Lake where they ran a chicken hatchery business which supplied eggs to various businesses including the St. Cloud Hospital.

He graduated from Maple Lake High School in 1949 as Valedictorian of his class. While in school he played basketball, the trumpet including taps for memorial services, had roles in school plays and took pictures of school events and sold them. He worked many jobs during high school, including some that no longer exist. He was a soda jerk at Ertel's Drug Store, set pins at the bowling alley and ran the film projector at the theater. He was an Eagle Scout and was always up for an adventure such as hopping trains, without a ticket, to the Boy Scout Jamboree in Texas.

Les met Marilyn Aretz at his brother's wedding. They danced at the wedding and started dating. They danced their way through many local dance halls and also at the Marigold Ballroom in Minneapolis. He was drafted into the United States Army on February 13, 1952 and served as a surveyor, making maps of Germany. While in the service, he was able to visit his ancestral homestead in Norway, skied the Swiss Alps and saw the Eiffel Tower. This started his love of traveling which he and Marilyn continued as they toured every state and almost every National Park. He was discharged on January 23, 1954. They were married on August 2, 1954, at St. Timothy's Church in Maple Lake and lived in Minneapolis. Les found a job as a cabinet maker at Skaret Cabinetry in Spring Lake Park. They moved back to Maple Lake and then built a home in Buffalo. They carried every board and hammered every nail. Here they raised three daughters – Anita, Joni and Terri. Les started his own business, Dalman Cabinets, and was very successful. He enjoyed pointing out houses and businesses where he had installed cabinets. He was especially proud to have worked with a metro architect and his cabinets were featured in an architecture magazine. Les and Marilyn were married for 62 years before she passed away on December 28, 2016.

Les was blessed to find a new love with Marge Pavlik. Together they also enjoyed dancing, going out to eat and especially reminiscing about friends, family and the good old days in Maple Lake. They especially enjoyed watching Molly B and Daniel O'Donnell on TV on Saturday evenings.

Les was a member of the Buffalo Lions, a Charter member of the St. Francis Xavier Knights of Columbus and a proud member of Buffalo American Legion Post 270 where he served as Commander and a member of the Honor Guard.

He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Marilyn (Aretz) Dalman, siblings and their spouses: Hazel (Dalman) Schut, Sylvia Dalman, Millie Philbin (Tommy), Vernon Dalman (Phyllis), Harvey Dalman (Elsie) and Kenny Dalman (Lu) and sister-in-law Nora Dalman.

He is survived by Marge Pavlik, his daughters Anita (Kevin) Underberg, Joni, and Terri (Kenny) Klingelhoets; his grandchildren Jackie (Toby) Heinz, April Kiernan, Mindi Lloyd (fiance Nick Schimming), Katie (Derrick) Hetzler and John Klingelhoets; and great grandchildren, Payton, Kayla, Evelyn, Alexa, Scarlett, Jack, Blake, Ethan, Becka, Maisie, Maxwell, Madeline, Magnolia, and brother Harold Dalman and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at Peterson Chapel, Buffalo MN, on Monday, December 15, starting at 4 pm with praying of the rosary at 7 pm.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, December 16 at 11 am with visitation beginning one hour prior at St. Francis Xavier Church, 300 1st Avenue NW, Buffalo, MN.

Interment will be held at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.