I was born in Spooner Wisconsin
on May 24, 1934, and lived with
my parents in Trego WI.
throughout my youth.
Upon reflection of my life's work,
hobbies, and family values, I feel
that there were three things that
primarily influenced my career
paths, my life style, and my
family's direction. Those three
primary influences were my
Mother, my Father, and Water.
My parents gave me direction and encouragement to be
involved and actively participate in many different interests
that became available to me though out my early life. They
nurtured my love for music, sports, hunting and fishing,
farming, and learning about nature, our environment and
being a good steward of the land. They gave me a good
religious foundation, and an understanding of the
importance of family, friendships and country. I truly
believe that this broad background and parenting skills
served me well in dealing with the many challenges of my
vocation, and professional and family life.
Water: seemed to interject itself in my life in many positive
and challenging ways beyond the normal needs that we
all rely on.
Long before my birth, my Mother fell in the Red River in
northern Minnesota, at age three, and was plucked out of
the water by a fisherman who saw her little body floating
by on the surface due to a bubble of air in her full length
dress. Needless to say no Mother, no Dale.
At age two, I saw my two older brothers run down the
bank of the Namakogan river, at the old swimming hole in
Trego, and of course, I did the same thing and a young
man who saw me, jumped in and fished me out, pumped
the water out, and handed me, crying, to my Dad.
When I was five, we lost my fifteen year old brother in a
water related incident. It was a tradition for the young boys
of Trego to jump off the wagon bridge into the Namakogan
river on May 1 of each year to kick of f the swimming
season for that year. He developed a sinus infection and
passed away seven days later. A water related tragedy
that I never forgot.
Water seemed to be the foundation of many of my youthful
pursuits, from swimming, scuba diving, fishing, water
skiing downhill skiing (snow is water you know) boating,
and beer drinking (come on, beer is mostly water) to name
a few.
During the second summer of my College year I met the
love of my life, Mary Conley, while working at a summer
resort in northern Wisconsin, yes on the WATERS of
Matthews Lake. Lucky me, I had to teach her how to swim,
we are still swimming through life after 52 years together.
My next experience with water was 22 days on a troop
ship to Korea, followed by 16 months sloshing through and
around rice patties, followed by 22 days across the Pacific
Ocean to home. Some good times, some not so good.
It installed a new value system and a new perspective on
life
Then came marriage, living a new life, and the beginning
of a new carrier. Did I mention that my College focus was,
a music major, with a Phy/Ed minor. That along with my
youthful background, a Medic in the Army, made a perfect
fit to pursue a carrier in Law Enforcement, wouldn't you
think? Well that's what happened.
Newly, married and looking for a job I was lucky to find a
part time job as a seasonal Conservation Warden working
with Warden David Swendsen and living in Shell Lake.
After that two month job I was fortunate there was an
opening on the Washburn County Sheriffs Department for
the job of Under Sheriff. Pretty good wouldn't you say,
second in command, well there were only two of us full
time. This was a great four year learning experience.
field of Law Enforcement. No minimum standard, no
mandatory training, very little equipment, and a lot of on
the job training and guidance from a great mentor.
I then took the exam for the position of a State
Conservation Warden and was hired on in March of 1963.
I packed my bags, took the family car, and headed for
Madison, leaving my wife and three little girls in Shell
Lake. The first two weeks I spent with our recruit class in a
training and introductory period with the the state training
officer, Harold Hettrick. The next 4 months, I worked with
two field training officers in Outagamie, and Columbia
counties. The next time I saw my family was in mid July,
for two days, then back to another training station. Back
then, probation Wardens worked seven days a week, with
no time off. My next trip home was in a full body cast in the
back of an ambulance after spending four weeks in the
Appleton Memorial Hospital, from a car accident on
August 23, 1963 at 12:35pm. It was great being reunited
with my family. After six weeks in a body cast, and six
weeks in a wheel chair it was hard, wondering every day,
if I would walk again, have a job, and provide for my
family. It all worked out great, more water under the
bridge.
My first permanent field Warden assignment was the
Appleton station. This was a very challenging assignment
with lots of people, and a wide diversity of resources. Did I
mention water? The Wolf river, the Fox river, and Lake
Winnebago, thirty two miles long and twelve miles wide.
The work load included two more children, one more girl
and a boy. I was still the Under Sheriff. The Sheriff was
Mary, who was in charge of the kids, the household, and
me. In addition she handled the phone calls, the
complaints and registered bow killed deer. This busy
station averaged 29.6 incoming business calls per day 365
days of the year. Her wages didn't show up on the tax
return.
On August 23, 1968 at 12:30 noon, we had another near
water related tragedy, I was working at my home office
when my 6 year old daughter Dawn rushed into the house
screaming, "The Dane was dead, he drowned". I rushed
out to the 18 inch deep pool in our back yard and found
our 2 year old son laying on the ground outside the pool.
He was not breathing and after several resuscitation
attempts, started breathing on his own. Dawn was playing
with him in the pool, and he fell on his back and did not
come up. She fortunately, grabbed him by the arms and
pull him out of the pool. I believe that action forced some
of the water out of his lungs before I got there. The water
forgave us. (Note the date, and time, 5 years almost to the
date and time of my car accident, we don't go near the
water on August 23, well maybe a beer).
After ten years in Appleton, I took the job as the State
Boating Law Administrator (BLA) in the Madison office.
What that means, if it had anything to do with water, or
any type of a boat, I was the Goat. It was a great job that
lasted for 18 years, and gave me an opportunity to be on
the ground floor of the development of all aspects of the
boating programs, from Education, Water Way Marker
System, Law Enforcement training, to Boat Accident
Investigation, at the State and National level. I was
fortunate to meet, and work with may dedicated people
involved in these programs from all over the world.
Upon retirement on January 3, 1990, (Yipe, over 21 years
ago) I started a consulting service entitled Morey's Boat
Accident and Safety Services. I worked with the U.S.
Coast Guard, and Underwriters Laboratories in developing
a boating accident course, which I helped to teach to
every state and province. My first course was in
Tallahassee, Florida, and my last one was in 2002 in
Homer, Alaska. What a blast, meeting and working with
dedicated men and women, with common interests from
all over the world.
An off shoot of my career working for the state, has grown
into the field of Boat Accident Investigation and
Reconstruction, in litigation cases both civil and criminal,
for both plaintiffs and defendants. I have been involved in
over 250 cases from Canada, Bahamas, France and most
of the States and still dip my toe in this arena.
Mary and I have retired to a beautiful location on the Wisconsin river were we enjoy the many bounties of nature that has blessed us. We have provided homes for over 18 nesting pairs of Wood ducks each year in our oak trees. We have enjoyed nature from Sand Hills to Mole Hills, from Bees to Bears, from Bats to Bobcats, from Chokecherry to Strawberries, and Indigo-buntings to Turkey hunting. The plethora of returning brilliant migratory song birds on our lawn looks like a Easter egg hunt.
We have enjoyed traveling, enjoy hosting many gathering
and work projects with our family, Children, grandchildren
and great grandchildren, and friends. Mary has a majestic
touch with the flowers and shrubs, and I enjoy gardening,
golf, and hunting and fishing.
We cannot survive without water, we must protect it,
respect it, and use it with care, always being reminded of
its blessing.
Life is good as water still runs through us.
Mary died in 2018. Dale passed away on March 7, 2021.