Fleming

Dale B. Fleming, 93, of Renfrew died at 4:55 p.m. Tuesday in his home.

Born Dec. 26, 1915, in Concord Township, he was the son of the late Ross R. and Esther (Wilson) Fleming.

He lived in Butler County all his life. He helped his father with his farming, and their farm was known for its good potato crop. It was Dale's responsibility to truck potatoes to the market in Pittsburgh during the winter.

Dale graduated from Butler High School in 1933, and he also attended The Butler Business College.

Dale always was agriculture oriented, from the days when he enjoyed his 4-H strawberry projects in his youth until he retired from the Big Butler Fair, having been the secretary-treasurer of that organization for 30 years.

In addition to his contributions to the Butler Fair, he also was secretary-treasurer of the Associated Milk Producers for more than 30 years.

He was a member of the St. John's Reformed Church.

Dale was very active with Optimist International Club of Butler, served as president, and the organization received several awards during 1960s. He also was a 50-year member of the United Commercial Travelers.

In 1978, he received the Bullshipper's Award from the Penn State Extension Office for his active promotion of agriculture in the Butler County community. In 1981, he received the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Appreciation Award for his exemplary records of the Big Butler Fair. In 1981, he received the Friend of 4-H award, and in 1986, he got the Friend of Junior Livestock Club award. He instituted several youth awards in the Big Butler Fair program.

After retiring from the Butler Fair, he raised and sold registered Haflinger horses, having two mares that were directly descended from the original Haflinger horses brought to United States in 1957.

In 1981, he retired from Butler Armco after 14 years.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Ralph Fleming and Victor Flemming; two sisters, Ruth Biekert and Marie Fleming; and four nephews, Porter Fleming, Arthur Biekert, Gary Flemming and Roger Boosel.

Survivors are his wife, Annabelle (Herold) Fleming, whom he married Nov. 26, 1977; his daughter, Rebecca Esther (Fleming) Oesterling and her husband, John L. Oesterling; four stepdaughters and their husbands, Sylvia and Larry Gucken of Northville, Mich., Norma Jean and Chuck Norris II of Butler, Rose Marie and John Hanna of Butler, Pamela and David Wiltgen of Grand Junction, Colo.; one stepson, Roger Oesterling and his wife, Mary, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; six grandchildren, Kris-Ann (Oesterling) Wilcox and her husband, Dan, of Unalaska, Alaska, Marsha (Oesterling) and her husband, John Blum, of Butler, Paula (Oesterling) and John DeRunk of West Sunbury, Ryan and Elizabeth Oesterling of Ellwood City, Sara Oesterling of Butler and Jane Oesterling of Butler; 12 great-grandchildren, Esther Joy, Jadon and Lydia Wilcox, Matthew Porter, Evan, Taylor and Victoria Blum, Hyland and Ameliah Oesterling, Rayn, John Robert and Ash-Lyn Renae Oesterling; 10 step-grandchildren, Sean and Kevin Gucken, Mark and Scott Oesterling, Chuck III, Kelly and Darren Norris, Jason and Jesse Sheppeck and Erin (Gucken) Black; and 17 step-great-grandchildren, Sean Patrick, Meghan and Jeffery Gucken, Max and Caia Black, Eric, Samuel, Isaac and Alexander Oesterling, Chuck IV, Hydea, Nichole, Kaylee and Cassidy Norris and Hannah, Allee and Emma Sheppeck.

Also surviving are two brothers, Don Fleming and his wife, Marian, of Butler and Paul Flemming of Grove City; a sister, Jane Bortmas of West Sunbury; and several nieces and nephews.

<B>FLEMING</B> — Friends of Dale B. Fleming, who died Tuesday, May 12, 2009, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the <B>Thompson-Miller Funeral Home</B>, 124 E. North St. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday from St. John's Reformed Church, with the Rev. Dr. Robert C. Peterson officiating. Interment will be in Butler County Memorial Park.Information and a private guest book are available at www.thompson-miller.com.