Dale James Dickkut

Dale James Dickkut, son of John V. and Mabel (Roe) Dickkut, was born May 13, 1945, in Marshalltown, Iowa. He grew up on his father’s farm, where he stomped lamb wool into sacks, learned to dance from his cousin Joanne, shucked more corn than he cared to count, and from a dipper of questionable origin drank the coldest water in Iowa from their well. He was proud to be an Iowa farm boy. Dale attended Marshalltown High School, graduating in 1963, then took his basketball talents to Grandview Junior College in Des Moines before heading to Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.

 

It was there, in a Greek Mythology class, that a blonde woman walked in and Dale moved his books aside so she’d sit beside him. Her name was Diana Kay Volkmer. The two were married on May 21, 1966, in Overland Park, Kansas, and went on to raise three children: Kurt, Erik, and Gretchen. The family moved several times through Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska before settling in Rock Port, Missouri, in 1980, where they’ve made their home ever since.

 

Dale spent his career as an agricultural feed salesman, first with Ralston-Purina and later with Continental Grain Company, retiring in the mid-1990s. His work carried him across the Midwest, where he fell in love with the Flint Hills and their old limestone barns. That love became a business: The Resource Company. Dale began to see new life in the region’s crumbling limestone structures. He’d buy them, take them down stone by stone, mapping each piece, then sell the stone to architects who built it back up elsewhere. If you’ve ever driven past Dale and Diana’s home, you’ve seen the proof: a carriage house he built by hand after Diana asked for a piece of limestone – a piece of Kansas – of her own.

 

Dale wore many hats in Rock Port. He was a Boy Scout leader, a youth sports coach, a member of First Lutheran Church, Rock Port, where he was a leader for Luther League and Church Board President multiple times. He also organized and sponsored the Rock Port High School Lego League Robotics Chapter. Dale served as the Mayor of Rock Port and as a member of the Memorial Building Foundation during its renovation.

 

For the past several years, he was the President of the Brownville Education Committee for Arts and Humanities. A lifelong lover of books, it was here that he envisioned the Antiquarium, helping bring back to life an old school building as a home for others who shared his passions for learning and curiosity. Adding on to his volunteer work in Brownville, Dale also spent time serving as member of the community’s Music Hall.

 

Dale enjoyed hosting “Poppi’s Camp” at their home in Rock Port, a week-long visit once a year with his seven granddaughters that was spent traveling the area and teaching them about living an inquisitive life. It was a highly anticipated week for all and built memories that are forever cherished.

 

Dale passed away Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at his home in Rock Port, at the age of 81.

 

Dale was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include wife, Diana Dickkut, Rock Port; children, Kurt (Jennifer) Dickkut, Lawrence, Kansas; Erik (Bobbi) Dickkut, Overland Park, KS; and Gretchen (Troy) Rettig, Merriam, Kansas; seven granddaughters, Bailey, Annika, Payton, Mia, Sara, Sophi, and Kylee (all in Kansas); step-grandchildren Alex (Jennifer), Jessica, Brett and Averi, Shawnee, KS; brother, John (Janet Baird) Dickkut, Longmont, CO; sister-in-law, Joanna (Jay) Frizzo, Paducah, KY; numerous nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.

 

Memorial Service: 10:30 A.M., Monday, September 28, 2026, Minter Funeral Chapel, Rock Port.

Open visitation beings 12:00 P.M., Sunday, September 27, Minter Funeral Chapel, where the family will receive friends from 4:00-5:00 P.M.

Private family inurnment will be held at a later date.

Memorials: Brownville Education Center for Arts and Humanities, Brownville, Nebraska.

Arrangements: Minter Funeral Chapel, Rock Port.

www.minterfuneralchapels.com