Dale A. Burtch, 82, of Clarion, passed away peacefully at Iowa Specialty Hospital of Belmond on Thursday, January 8, 2026. A private funeral service will be held. A graveside service will be held at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at Blooming Prairie Cemetery in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. Dale was born June 30, 1943, to Earl and Lillian (Paulson) Burtch in Owatonna, MN, where he grew up on a farm. When he was fifteen, his family moved to Blooming Prairie, and he graduated from Blooming Prairie High School in 1961. While in high school, Dale worked for a local plumber and continued to do so after graduation. He later moved to Minneapolis and worked for a Chevrolet dealership for several years, until he returned to Blooming Prairie, where he worked in the parts department of another dealership. In 1969, Dale began working for the natural gas company, where he continued to work for 40 years. Dale was married to Dixie (Dennis) Burtch on June 21, 1969. The couple resided in Blooming Prairie until he received promotions and moved to Sherburn, MN in 1975 and later Onawa, IA in 1978. He retired from the gas company in 2008. In 2018, Dale and Dixie moved to Clarion, IA, to be closer to family. Dale enjoyed serving the communities he lived in. He was a member of the Junior JCs in Blooming Prairie and the Sherburn JCs. He served on church councils while living in Sherburn and Onawa. He was a member of the Sherbum Fire Department Ambulance Service as an EMT. He enjoyed taking and teaching EMT courses. He was also a member of the Onawa Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter for many years. He served on church councils in Sherburn and Onawa. He was a member of the Onawa Kiwanis club and also served on the West Monona school board in Onawa for 13 years. In his leisure time, Dale enjoyed bowling, fishing, fixing things, watching professional and college sports, and watching his children and grandchildren play sports. He is survived by his wife, Dixie; children, Chad (Sue) Burtch of Oxford, IA; Dawn (Tom) Frantz of Clarion, IA; Scott (Angie) Burtch of Humboldt, IA; grandchildren, Maria (George) Ellosais, Emily Burtch, Tyler, Logan and Greydon Frantz, Spencer and Adelyn Burtch; great grandchildren Sophia and Mila Ellosais Dale was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Lillian Burtch, his sister Merle Harrington, brother Eugene Burtch, brother-in-law Leonard Harrington, and sister-in-law Evelyn Burtch.