Dale A. Nederhoff, age 94, of Galena, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 27, 2025, at Midwest Senior Care Community.  To celebrate Dale’s life, family and friends may visit from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque.  Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Monday, August 4, 2025, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 1199 Main Street, with Rev. Stephanie Schlimm officiating.  Burial will be in Linwood Cemetery where military honors will be accorded by the Dubuque Marine Corps League.

Dale was born on a farm in central Iowa on September 15, 1930, to Albert C. and Katharina “Alice” (Neessen) Nederhoff.  When he was four years old they moved to Wellsburg, Iowa.  He spent the next 12 years attending public schools and soon after graduation, he started working at a local woodworking shop to learn to be a cabinetmaker.

In 1952, Dale was drafted into the U.S. Army and served two years full-time- and eight years in the Reserves during the Korean War.

He then started college at Iowa State College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree.  He married Shirley J. Huisman, also of Wellsburg, Iowa, on September 5, 1955.  They lived in Ames, Iowa where soon after Dale’s graduation, their daughter, Lisa, was born.

His first job was with Stanley Consultants, an International Architectural Engineering firm located in Muscatine, Iowa.  During the eight years he was with the firm, he started attending the University of Iowa on Saturdays and evenings and earned a Master of Science Degree.  During this time, Dale was assigned to design projects in Bolivia, South America, Liberia and  Nigeria, Africa and later in Venezuela, South America.  It was while living in Muscatine that their two boys, Bradley and Brian, were born.

Then,  Dale felt that he needed more Architectural experience so for the next nineteen years, his family lived in Dubuque, Iowa, where he was employed by The Durrant Group.  It was during that time that he developed an Experience Record in Justice Architecture and specialized in that field for the rest of his career.

Because Justice Architecture was needed more in Florida, in 1984, their family moved to Tampa for the next 16 years. Dale was employed by the Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK), a large Architectural/Engineering firm.

This concluded his 42 years as a Registered Architect and Professional Engineer with 67 Justice Projects.

In 2000, both Shirley and Dale retired and started constructing their retirement home in Galena, Illinois.  From 2001 through 2007, they lived 6 months in Galena and 6 months in Tampa, Florida per year.

Shirley died on January 3, 2007, in Tampa. It was in 2012 that  Dale sold the condo and moved into his home in Galena full time.

Dale met his second wife, Betty Martin (whose husband, William Martin, died in 1999), at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.  After dating for 4 years, they married on July 18, 2021.

Those left to cherish Dale’s memory include

his wife,
Betty Ann Nederhoff, Galena, IL;

his children,
Lisa (David) Viertel, Dubuque, IA,
Bradley (Gerilyn) Nederhoff, Waltham, MA
and Brian (Shari) Nederhoff, McKinney, TX;

his step-children,
Andria (David) Schaul, Asbury, IA
and Kenneth (Shannon) Martin, Ft. Madison, IA;

8 grandchildren and 4 step-grandchildren;

9 great-grandchildren;

and a sister,
Betty Mehmen, Hastings, NE.

Dale was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Shirley Nederhoff; a sister, Lois (Seth) Larson; and a brother-in-law, Derold Mehmen.

Dale’s family would like to thank his physician, Dr. Gregory Vandigo MD, as well as Dale’s care givers, Jan, Marcia and Chris for the wonderful care they provided.  Also a special thanks to the staff of Midwest Senior Care Community and Hospice of Dubuque for their kindness and compassion.

Cards and memorials in Dale’s memory may be mailed to Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Attn. Dale Nederhoff Family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com