Dale Coen

Dale Boicourt Coen was born January 15, 1922 on the Coen homestead south and west of Rolla, Kansas. He was the middle son of seven boys born to Edgar and Rena Coen and passed away Friday, September 7, 2018 at the Morton County Hospital, Elkhart, Kansas. Dale was born in the home he was raised in, which was a dugout consisting of two rooms with dirt walls and floors. Very humble beginnings indeed. As a child Dale attended West Cess grade school which was a couple miles south of their home. I’m not sure if it was uphill both ways, but many times they walked to school, and other times they were able to ride a horse. There are pictures of several kids, including neighbor children, lined up on the back of the horse ready to head to school. As Dale got older he attended both Rolla and Wilburton schools, finally graduating high school from Wilburton in 1940. There were 5 students in his graduating class, including his mother Rena, who concluded her education once her family was mostly grown. By the time Dale finished high school, World War Two was raging in Europe and by 1941 the United States had become involved. In 1942 Dale began serving his country and spent a little over three years in the Army Air Corp in both the United States and Europe serving as a gunnery instructor. He has mentioned he was always concerned about the young men he was teaching, wanting to make sure he gave them, through his instruction, their best opportunity to make it home safely. In 1945 after the war, he returned to Morton County and began farming with his father and brothers, eventually setting up his own farming operation. It was not until 1950 that he met the love of his life, Bonnie Barmore. The Barmores, JD and Bertha, had been residents of Morton County in the 1920’s and had become close family friends of the Coens’ but had since moved to Missouri. Mrs. Barmore had actually taken care of Dale as a small child for an extended period of time while Mrs. Coen had been ill. Years later, while attending a church meeting in Independence Missouri in the spring of 1950, Dale stayed with the Barmores and there he met Bonnie. It was love at first sight, and on Sept. 24, 1950 they were married. They adopted their son Jay D in 1956 and thus made their family complete.

Throughout the years Dale was active in his community serving as 4-H leader, church youth leader, pastor, Farm Bureau board, ministerial alliance, and helped with the county fair and other opportunities he had to serve. Dale and Bonnie were active in the RLDS church throughout the years, during which time they brought ministry to numerous families in Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas. They also farmed and raised registered Polled Hereford cattle for their livelihood. Throughout the years they made their home on the family farm north of Wilburton and Dale enjoyed working side by side with Bonnie until the late 1980’s when they retired and moved into Elkhart. Bonnie passed away in 1996 and Dale later married Opal Clampitt who passed away in 2010. Dale was preceded in death by his wife Bonnie, and wife Opal, his brothers Verl, Marion, Richard, Floyd, Lloyd, sister Rena Marie and great granddaughter Neveah. Dale is survived by his son Jay D and wife Lori of Elkhart KS, brother Ralph of Chickasha OK, granddaughter Michelle, husband Brett and great granddaughter Brooke of Derby KS, granddaughter Robyn Kadel and husband Brice of Andover, KS, grandson Jace and wife Lauren and great grandchildren Emma and Jayden Dale of Neosho MO, grandson Landon Coen of Colorado Springs, CO, granddaughter Marci Priest of Texhoma, OK and great granddaughter Mia Bhutto of Yukon OK.

Funeral service will be Monday, September 10, 2018, 10:00 a.m. at Garnand Funeral Home Chapel, Elkhart, Kansas withGary Talbert officiating. Burial will follow at the Elkhart Cemetery, Elkhart, Kansas with military rites by VFW Point Rock Post #3162. Friends may call on Sunday, September 9, 2018 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Garnand Funeral Home, Elkhart, Kansas. Family requests memorials be given toGrammy’s Kids in care of Garnand Funeral Home, P.O. Box 854, Elkhart, Kansas 67950.