Dale P. Carda, 82, of Wagner

Mass of Chirstian Burial is 1:30 P.M, Thursday, June 7, 2018 at St. John's Catholic Church in Wagner. Burial is in St. John's Catholic Cemetery, rural Wagner, with military honors. Visitation is at the Crosby-Jaeger Funeral Home in Wagner on Wednesday from 3 to 5 PM. Rosary/Wake services will be at 7 PM, Wednesday, at the church.

Dale Paul Carda was born September 2, 1935, in rural Ravinia, SD, to Paul and Fay (Dunsmore) Carda. He died on Monday, June 4, 2018 at the Wagner Community Memorial Hospital in Wagner, SD at the age of 82 years.
Dale attended school in Ravinia, SD, where he played varsity football and basketball.  He graduated in 1954. He married the love of his life, Bonnie Petrik, on June 24, 1957, in Lake Andes, SD. Bonnie and Dale celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2017. In 1958, he was drafted into the US Army and served two years with the 1st Armored Rifle Battalion of the 54th Infantry. He spent much of that time stationed overseas in Heidelberg, Germany.
Dale and Bonnie farmed south of Wagner until moving into Wagner in 1983. He also worked at the Farmer's Coop and the Terminal Grain Elevator in Wagner until he began a 37-year career at the Wagner Community School District as a custodian. During his 37 years, he touched the lives of thousands of children and staff. He was well known for his dedication to the school and his friendly, caring nature. Former WCS School Superintendent and high school classmate, the late Dale E. Hall, wrote this about him in a letter to the editor after Dale announced his retirement from the school: "In all the years I was honored to work with Dale, I never heard him say "no", "can't", or "that's not the way we do it". He always looks at the positive side of things and makes things happen for the better. His demeanor is always one with a smile, a little humor, and a concern for everyone. He had tremendous rapport with people".
Dale's pride and joy was his three children - Angie, Paul, and Dale James, and his six grandchildren: Brady, Mikayla, Zachary, Faye, Olivia, and Jack. He became a great-grandpa to Ronin Malachi one week before he passed away and didn't get the chance to meet him. It was very common to find Dale playing on the floor with his grandkids or rocking one to sleep in his chair. They all cherished the time they spent in Wagner with Grandpa.
Dale was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic church. He was an avid gardener and loved his many varieties of roses. Up until this year, he still raised chickens and tended to his garden in town and out at Paul's farm.
Thankful for having shared his life are his wife Bonnie of Wagner; daughter Angie (Jon) Brown of Sioux Falls; son Paul of Wagner; son Dale (Amy) of Sibley, IA; grandchildren: Brady (Katelynn) Rothschadl, Mikayla Olson, Zachary Carda, Faye Carda, Olivia Brown, Jack Brown, and great-grandson Ronin Thompson; sisters, Wilma Petrik of Owatonna, MN, and Ilene (Bob) Doty of Greeley, CO; sisters-in-law, Madonna (Richard) Carda of Janesville, MN, and Sherry (Jack) Miller of Mount Pleasant, NC; and many nieces, nephews, and their families.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents, Fay and Paul Carda; parents-in-law, Emil and Marcella Petrik; brother-in-law, Ed Petrik; nephew, Mark Doty; and niece, Lisa Miller.