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Dell M. Abelein, 75, passed away on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at his home at Alpine Way Retirement Center. Dell was born on September 5, 1935 in Bismarck, ND to Guy and Hattie (Moxness) Abelein. The family moved to a number of small North Dakota towns including Anamoose (an Indian word for dog) and St. Thomas. Dell's mother was a nurse and his dad worked for the postal service on a run from Flaxton, ND to Whitetail, MT, and a 170 mile train trip. Dell got to go on some of these trips with his father as a young boy....
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Dell M. Abelein, 75, passed away on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at his home at Alpine Way Retirement Center. Dell was born on September 5, 1935 in Bismarck, ND to Guy and Hattie (Moxness) Abelein. The family moved to a number of small North Dakota towns including Anamoose (an Indian word for dog) and St. Thomas. Dell's mother was a nurse and his dad worked for the postal service on a run from Flaxton, ND to Whitetail, MT, and a 170 mile train trip. Dell got to go on some of these trips with his father as a young boy. After his father's death in 1946, Dell and his mother moved to Bellingham, WA, to escape the harsh North Dakota climate and be near her sisters. She liked the northwest and worked for St. Joseph's Hospital. Dell, however, wasn't sure at first how he was going to like Washington. He said he enjoyed the changing of the seasons which is a very definite thing in North Dakota. He remembers getting off the train in Everett on a gray, foggy day and hearing "the dreary noise that seagulls make" which he had never heard before. He did adjust and went to college at Western Washington University where he majored in education. After graduation, he decided to get his military service out of the way so he enlisted in the Army. Most of his service was spent as a clerk/typist at Fort Harrison, IN.
After discharge from the Army, Dell was offered a teaching job by Rudy Oltman, the superintendent of Shelton Schools. He taught seventh and eighth grade. His teaching career lasted just short of thirty years. Dell was very active in the Shelton United Methodist Church. He was the head usher for twenty five years, head of the prayer chain, a member of a Bible study group and involved with the church food bank for many years. He was a member of the Retired Teachers Association and a lifetime member of the Shelton Kiwanis Club and spent a lot of time volunteering as a reading and math tutor. Dell had an uncanny ability to remember numbers. He enjoyed photography and walking. During his student days at Western, Dell saw an advertisement from Yellowstone National Park for college students who were interested in summer work. Dell had picked beans during previous summers and Yellowstone sounded a lot better than bean picking so he applied and was hired as a soda fountain clerk ("soda jerk.") at the West Thumb Store. He liked the experience and returned ten years later as an adult. Dell worked summers at the Canyon Valley Store and Old Faithful for over thirty-five years. Dell is survived by a few cousins and many friends. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at the United Methodist Church in Shelton at 11:00 am.
Donations in his honor can be made to the Shelton Kiwanis Club Foundation, P.O. Box 477, Shelton, WA 98584 or the United Methodist Church Memorial Fund, 1900 King St. Shelton, WA 98584. The family was served by McComb Funeral Home.
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