Dale Vanhorn

William "Dale" VanHorn

1935  -  2016

William Dale VanHorn was born on November 6, 1953 in Yuma, Colorado to Charlie and Lizzie (Pagel) VanHorn.  He passed away on March 25, 2016, at the age of 80, at the VA Community Living Center in Denver, Colorado. 

Dale attended the Yuma Schools and graduated in May of 1953.  He served in the Army from 1959 until 1962.  He was stationed near Frankfurt, Germany he was a Corporal and a Marksman and served in the 165th Engineer Combat Battalion. 

Dale married Ilka (Gordon) VanHorn on November 7, 1964 in Brush, Colorado.  They spent twenty-nine years together before her passing on December 2, 1993. 

Dale worked for Perry Southwell in Wheat Ridge, Colorado in the early 1960's.  He worked for Smokey Peticlerec also in Wheat Ridge, Colorado bricklaying and as a construction apprentice.  Dale became self-employed in Yuma, Colorado as a well-known and successful general contractor for the remainder of his fifty plus year career. 

Dale used to race motorcycles as an amateur in flat track-style racing in Sturgis, South Dakota in the mid 1950's with his brother, Marv, as his trusty mechanic.  He placed 2nd and 3rd in several races and in one in particular, the younger brother of a prominent pro racer barely beat Dale at the finish line.  Marv felt he found the issue that caused him not to win and made the adjustment shortly afterward, but also gamely once said they could never quite beat the "factory".  Dale always attributed his success to the mechanical prowess of his brother.  They were such a successful pair that Harley-Davidson eventually asked Dale to join their team.  After all, here were two young guys from Yuma, Colorado always placing just behind them.  However, he refused their offer, saying if anything ever happened to his hands, he couldn't be a carpenter, which is what he loved the most.  Back in those days, team sponsorship didn't pay the way it does now either.  He went on to build or remodel or have some effect on many people's houses and buildings in Yuma and beyond throughout his fifty plus year career as a carpenter and general contractor.  He was a real fixture in the community and will be remembered for a very long time.