Dale Holen

Alvin Dale Holen passed away at age 90 on March 4, 2026, at the Pembilier Nursing Center in Walhalla, North Dakota. Visitation will be held at 9:00 AM and a funeral will be held at 10:00 AM on Monday, March 9, 2026, at the Walhalla Lutheran Church in Walhalla, North Dakota.

Dale was born in Leyden, North Dakota, on October 6, 1935, to Alvin and Norma Holen. He was the oldest of three children: Norman Holen and Janet (Holen) Wieser. Throughout his life, he worked alongside his father at the Holen Repair Shop. After his father died, Dale took over the family business and continued his passion of repairing cars, lawn mowers, snowblowers, and small engines. Collectively, Dale and his father provided repair services to the community for 90 years. He enjoyed visiting with neighbors and customers while working and many remember “getting a nice cold bottle of pop and a candy bar” at the shop. Dale was blessed with deep love throughout his life. He first met and married Sonia Stilwell Diemert on July 24, 1981, and together they built a life with their four children. After Sonia’s passing, Dale found love again when he married Dorothy Kiezer Moen on November 25, 1989. They shared 32 wonderful years of marriage with their five children before Dorothy’s passing.

Dale was an active member of the Walhalla Lutheran Church. Here he served as an usher, was a member of the council, as well as a member of the church choir. He enjoyed target shooting, gopher hunting, playing pool and card games, completing jigsaw and Sudoku puzzles, and reading about BigFoot and UFOs. He was an avid gun and knife collector and bowled on leagues at the Walhalla Bowling Alley. He was so proud of his 1948 Willy’s Jeepster and other old cars and could be seen riding in them in surrounding area parades throughout the years. In his younger years, he enjoyed the outdoors, snowmobiling, riding motorcycles, and four wheeling. Dale enjoyed gopher hunting, rides in the hills, cookouts in the sandhills by Walhalla, and going to Medora each year with his wife, Dorothy, Steve and Janet Wieser, and Mert and Judy Beaudrie. His family remembers his love of chocolate shakes from Thompson’s Cafe, chocolate chip cookies, Krispy Kreme donuts, and “cowboy beans” over the campfire. His family admired his amazing ability to tell stories, his wit and humor, his adventurous spirit, his ability to love and make others feel valued, his (sometimes brutal) honesty, and his devotion to faith, friends, and family.

Dale was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Norma Holen; children, Jay (Julie) Diemert and Marla (Sean) Jensen; and his granddaughter, Lauren Stein. 

He is survived by his children, Linda (Dan) Turner; Peter Buciak; Alexander (Mari-ie) Moen; Sandy (Tim) Nelson; Christopher (Carie) Moen; Shannon (Don) Hansen; and Cathie (Gregg) Stein. He is also survived by his brother Norman (Ilene) Holen and sister Janet (Steve) Wieser, as well as many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Dale lived at the Pembilier Nursing Center for several years surrounded by compassionate caregivers and supportive friends. Although hesitant to move from the farm to the nursing center, he continued to live a meaningful and joyful life, sharing stories, laughter, and conversation with staff and residents. Dale’s family is deeply grateful for the exceptional care, kindness, and respect he received each day, up until the last moments of his life. Their dedication brought great comfort not only to Dale, but also to his family, who will always remember the kindness shown to him.