R. Dale Beilsmith, 90, of Slater, died Saturday, April 3, 2004, at The Living Center in Marshall.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 6, at Weiker Funeral Home in Slater. Father Kevin Gormley will officiate. Organist Bethany Weiker will play "Amazing Grace," "On Eagles' Wings" and "Shall We Gather at the River." Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Ross Early, Jeff Berkemeyer, Patrick Berkemeyer, Bobby Leffler, Pat Beilsmith and John Beilsmith. Burial will be in Slater City Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Slater Veterans Park or Wolfner Library for the Blind in Jefferson City.

Born March 11, 1914, in Litchfield, Ill., he was the son of the late Rolla and Nina Johnston Beilsmith. On March 24, 1951, in Mexico, he married Harriett Sue Donnelly, who preceded him in death Oct. 2, 1997. He was a retired maintenance and communications expert with Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad and later the Illinois, Central & Gulf Railroad until his retirement. He had been a licensed amateur radio operator (ham) since 1932 and had worked in the field of radio instruction during World War II. He was a member of International Brotherhood of Electric Workers Union and was a Methodist.

Survivors include two sons, John Beilsmith of Atlanta, Ga., and Pat Beilsmith of Kansas City; five daughters, Barbara Chevalier of Marshall, Gaye Beilsmith of Columbia, Bonnie Smith of Manassas, Va., Reney Schild of Golden, Colo., and Darlene Leffler of Bradenton, Fla.; two sisters, Irene Moffitt of Venice, Fla., and Ramona Novack of Crystal Lake, Ill.; 10 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by an infant daughter.

Marshall Democrat-News - Monday, April 5, 2004