Dale E. Keener, 92, of Gibson City, passed away on Sunday, May 11, 2025 at Goldwater Care in Gibson City.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 16, 2025 at Rosenbaum Funeral Home in Gibson City. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. till the time of the service. Interment will be at Frankeberger Cemetery, Ellsworth, IL.
Dale was born December 26, 1932 in McDonough County, IL, the son of Ralph and Hazel Keener. His family moved multiple times during his childhood. At one point they lived in California during WW II. He attended 8 different schools from first grade through 8th grade, many of them one room schoolhouses. He graduated from Bushnell High School in 1950. Dale served in the Air Force from 1950-1954 and attained the rank of Staff Sargeant. He was stationed in Cheyenne, WY and Anchorage, Alaska. After leaving the service, Dale attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with the help of the GI Bill and a lot of manual labor jobs. He graduated in 1958 with a B.S. in mechanized agriculture.
After graduation, Dale began working for International Harvester as a salesperson and then a credit manager. During that time, he met Ilene Grankey and they married on December 28, 1964. In 1972, Frank McGrath asked Dale to become his partner at his IH dealership. Dale and Ilene moved to Gibson City where they raised their three kids. Thanks to Dale’s hard work, the family was able to have a lot of experiences, including traveling throughout the United States. Dale helped guide the McGrath dealership through expansion, changes in partners, difficult economic times and the eventual sale to Birkey’s Farm Store. He retired in 1996.
In retirement, he enjoyed traveling and bicycling. Dale joined the group Wandering Wheels, and in 1999 he went on their cross-country bike trip from Seattle, Washington to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He also participated in numerous other shorter trips with groups and on his own. In 2002, Dale married, Helen McCormick, after the death of both of their spouses the previous year. They went on numerous trips in the U.S and across the world. He also took time to visit and travel with his siblings. Dale spent the last few years of his life at the family farm in Muscoda, WI before moving back to Gibson City.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings Norma, Leroy, Brenda, Gary and his wives Ilene and Helen. He is survived by his children Brett, Milwaukee, WI, Darin, Downs, IL and Julia (David) Cross, Mahomet, IL. Also surviving are three grandchildren Delanie and Dylan Keener and Isabel Cross.
Dale loved visiting the national parks and had a lifetime pass. Memorial donations may be made to the National Park Foundation at https://www.nationalparks.org.