KERMIT D. DYBSETTER, 78

(veteran)

Kermit D. Dybsetter, 78, of Burnsville, Minn., died peacefully April 22, 2006, at Augustana in Apple Valley, Minn., surrounded by his family. Funeral services were April 26 at Prince of Peace Church in Burnsville. Interment was at Fort Snelling Cemetery.

Kermit “Kim” Daniel Dybsetter was born August 9, 1927, to Daniel and Mable Dybsetter in Canby, Minn. He attended elementary school in Porter, Minn., and graduated from high school in 1945 at Canby, Minn. After graduation, he enlisted in the Army and served in the Aleutian Islands. After his discharge in 1947, he attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. In 1949, he transferred to the University of Minnesota where he received a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management. Following graduation in 1952, he began work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and that summer, he married Phyliss Carlson.

After working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) in Kenmare and Lostwood, N.D., he transferred to Forman, N.D., in 1956, and started the Tewaukon NWR. In 1959, he was transferred to Blair where he started the DeSoto NWR. He and his family moved into housing on the refuge after completion of the headquarters in Missouri Valley, Iowa. During Mr. Dybsetter’s final year at DeSoto, he supervised the excavation of the steamship, Bertrand. In 1969, he transferred to the regional office at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis, Minn., and retired in 1981 as Youth Programs Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

His retirement didn’t last long; he went on to study electronics at Dunwoody Institute. He was a charter member of the Sons of Norway and repaired many donated televisions for their annual garage sales. He drove a “DARTS” bus for four years, then repaired televisions for Burnsville TV. He enjoyed the game of golf and was proud of his two holes in one.

After he and his wife moved to a Realife Cooperative in Burnsville, he enjoyed working in his woodshop and building many projects for the community. Macular degeneration kept him from continuing to do detail-oriented work and he was later diagnosed with Lewy Body Disease.

Mr. Dybsetter is survived by his wife of 53 years, Phyliss; a daughter and son-in-law, Dianne and Shane Sands; two sons and daughters-in-law, Keith Dybsetter and Lori Engesether and Jerry and Carolyn Dybsetter; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a sister, Louise; nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by two brothers.

Memorials may be directed to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, DARTS, or Lewy Body Research.

~~~Obituary courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Association; newspaper clippings on file at the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska ~~~