Pine Knot News - A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news

Dale Earl Crocker, 97, of Cloquet passed away on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in Duluth. Dale was born to Earl and Ruth Crocker on June 2, 1926, in Marble, Minnesota. Dale was raised and attended school in Cloquet, graduating with the Class of 1944. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944 as a Petty Officer First Class with the Navy Seabees during World War II.

Dale married Arlene on June 12, 1999.

He managed the Johnson Company department store for 40 years and then drove school bus for Cloquet Transit for 30 years. Dale was a member of the Presbyterian Church, Cloquet American Legion and Cloquet VFW. He enjoyed fishing, playing cards and traveling.

Dale was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Dorothy Crocker; daughter Deborah Manty; sister Mae Roses; brother Bruce Kaae; and stepdaughter Diana Caliguire.

He will be greatly missed by his children, Deanna (Steve) Benson and David Crocker; sisters Janice (Bob) McDonald and Myra Sander; brother Lawrence (Chizuko) Crocker; grandson, Ryan Benson; stepchildren Julie (Nicholas) Neuberger, Jody (Curtiss) Saxton, Mark Benson, and John Hill III; and stepgrandchildren, Mark, Jason, Matthew, Jesse, Jenna and Jed.

Visitation: 1 p.m. until the 2 p.m. service Monday, Sept. 18 at Atkins-Northland Funeral Home in Cloquet. Burial will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery. To sign the guest book and leave an online tribute, see http://www.atkinsnorthlandfuneral home.com.

Pine Knot News, Sept. 15, 2023

To read a 2022 story in the Pine Knot News about Dale, visit http://www.pineknot news.com/story/2022/11/11/people/wwii-vet-shares-memories-of-the-war/8293.html