Dale O'Dell Ostern

Dale O. Ostern, 77, died Wednesday January 11, 2023 in his home in Frazee, MN.
Dale was born June 16, 1945 to Ole and Mathilda (Omodt) Ostern in Spring Grove, MN.
He attended school in Spring Grove until 1961 when he and his parents moved to
Frazee, MN where he graduated from Frazee high school in 1963.
Dale enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1964. He served 4 years on active duty; including
more than a year overseas in Vietnam, and 2 years in the reservists. He was honorably
discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 1970.
Dale applied his mechanical and machining skills to the agriculture industry, traveling
and repairing machinery in grain elevators across the upper midwest for many years
before settling permanently back in Frazee. There he cared for his mother after she had
a stroke, until she passed away in 1988. That year he opened his Machinist and Craft
shop. He owned and operated his shop until he retired in 2009. He was well known to
many as not only a talented machinist who could repair nearly anything but also as a
great neighbor to have a good conversation with. If a part didn’t exist, he would build it,
if someone needed a belt quickly, he probably had one that fit. He always had a joke
and a smile, an ear to listen or some knowledge to share.
Dale had an affinity and extraordinary skills with all things mechanical. Throughout his
life he was a firearm aficionado and quite a marksman. He wasn’t an active hunter but a
lover of animals. He fed all the birds around his home as well a cat who adopted him
and he named Tinker Bell. Other than the rodents looking to become a nuisance, he
only shot at animals with his camera. He enjoyed taking pictures of the wildlife and
sharing them with friends.
Dale never married or had children. He did pass so much love and knowledge on to his
nieces and nephews, though.
He had a faith and love of God that was such a great part of him it was like the air he
breathed. He took joy in reading the Bible and sharing the lessons he learned through it.
He had a generous, kind and caring soul.
In his last months he was very open about being ready to go meet Jesus. There were
many who proceeded him in death that he was reunited with upon his passing. A few of
the closest to him were his Parents, Ole and Mathilda Ostern, his brother Charles
Ostern, and his sisters LaVonne Aasen and Orpha Jackson.
He is survived by his sisters Marcella Markham, Ona Ellenson, and Carol Fettig as well
as many nieces and nephews.
He will be missed by family and friends and remembered for his kindness, his sense of
humor and all the ways he could fix darn near anything.

We will be celebrating Dale’s life and memory with a potluck picnic at 12:00PM, Saturday, June
17, 2023 at Eagle Lake Park located on South Eagle Lake Road, Frazee, MN. We invite
friends and family to come and share your memories of Dale and a favorite dish if you’d
like.