Dale Leroy Huisinga Sr., age 92, passed away peacefully from his earthly life and entered his heavenly home with his family beside him on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 11:50 p.m. at Heartland Nursing and Rehabilitation in Casey, Illinois.
He was born in Jewett, Illinois, on September 12, 1932, to Herbert Bismark Huisinga and Belva (Gabel) Huisinga. In 1940, the family moved to the Casey area after purchasing their first farm in 1936. While their home was still under construction, they lived in the newly built chicken coop until the house was completed. Dale came from a proud farming family that originally immigrated from Germany to Chicago in the 1880s, with many of his aunts and uncles later settling in the Jewett area.
He attended grade school at the Howe Schoolhouse and graduated from Casey High School in 1950, where he was an accomplished football and basketball player and an active member of the FFA. That same year, he joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves and served our country for four years at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois, before being honorably discharged. While stationed there, he was granted privileges to drive home on weekends to help farm and return by Monday morning.
The greatest achievements of Dale’s life were his family and farming — in that order. On November 26, 1961, he married Shirley Nell Miller at the Kimlin Cumberland Presbyterian Church. They were married for 63 years and are the very proud parents of four wonderful children: Deborah Kay, Herbert Bradley, Dale Leroy Jr., and Sandra Dale.
In 1955, Dale and his father, Herbert Huisinga, bought their first elevator, which was named H.B. Huisinga & Son. In 1967, it became Huisinga Grain as his father began to focus more on farming. Starting with just five employees and a storage capacity of approximately 80,000 bushels, Dale had a vision from the beginning. Through tireless work and determination, the business grew to become one of the largest privately owned grain elevators in the state of Illinois. Over the years, they erected nine concrete silos and eventually reached a storage capacity of 8 million bushels.
Dale often spoke of the greatest agricultural advancement in his lifetime: the invention of the sheller/picker. He remembered a time when his father hand-shucked corn starting November 1 and finishing by Christmas. With the new machine, the same job took less than two hours. Despite the countless technological changes and innovations over his 92 years, Dale was able to operate nearly every piece of machinery himself — often with just a “little” help from one of his sons or grandsons — until his retirement.
He also purchased Casey Grain and operated it as Huisinga Feed from 1970 to 1980. The feed store earned them many memorable Purina-sponsored trips to places like San Diego, Hawaii, Jamaica, and Las Vegas. Dale along with his dad Herb purchased Willow Hill Grain in the 1960’s. In the 1990’s along with the Honselman family expanded with locations in Ingraham, Lis, Rose Hill, and Newton. In 2006, he sold his prized elevators to TGM, but that didn’t stop him from farming. He absolutely loved being in a combine or a ditcher from sunup to sundown. In his later years, he enjoyed being driven around the countryside to visit the farms, check progress, and see the old homestead.
In his 70+ years of farming, Dale had the rare and cherished opportunity to work alongside his father, later with both of his sons, and eventually with his grandsons and granddaughters. It truly became a multi-generational family farming business. Over the years, he employed hundreds of men and women — many of whom were incredibly loyal in their service — and he was profoundly grateful for that. Anyone who worked with Dale can likely share a story or two that would make you laugh. While his sayings weren’t always easy to understand, they’ve stuck with us, and we still joke that we could write a book.
Dale served as a board member for the Bank of Casey and took great pride in that role. He also served on the board of Marshall Mutual. In 1994, he received a Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 2023, he was honored as Co-Citizen of the Year by the Casey Chamber of Commerce.
He was also a heck of a fast-pitch softball pitcher. He played locally for various City League teams and later sponsored several teams. The Huisinga Grain Team won multiple championships, and Dale’s support helped the sport grow across East Central Illinois. For his contributions, he was inducted into the Casey Softball Hall of Honor in 2007.
Dale loved fishing, camping, and boating — some of the family’s favorite memories were made on trips to Canada, Lake of the Ozarks, and Deland, Florida. He was infamous for his homemade ice cream, still holding the family record of seven bowls eaten in one sitting. He was particular about the recipe too — exactly 38 marshmallows went into it, not the full bag of 40. (Now you know the secret.) He also holds the record for most steaks eaten at the Casey Farmer’s Open — three: one for an appetizer, one for dinner, and one for dessert.
He earned the nickname “The Big Guy,” and it was well deserved — both as a reflection of his size and his big personality. In later years, Dale enjoyed being a “snowbird,” heading south to enjoy the warmth of Naples, Florida.
He was a member of the Casey First Baptist Church. Dale made a personal declaration of faith in Jesus Christ and was a born-again Christian. Our family rests easier knowing we’ll be reunited with him one day. We are confident he is already walking the Streets of Gold, singing his favorite hymn, How Great Thou Art.
Dale is survived by his loving wife, Shirley, of Casey, IL; his children, Debbie (Richard) Pfeiffer of Mt. Vernon, IN; Brad (Jeanette) Huisinga of Casey, IL; Dale Jr. (Shawn) Huisinga of Casey, IL; and Sandra Huisinga of Effingham, IL. Grandchildren: Tara (Dave) Whitacre of Casey, IL; Heather Huisinga of Casey, IL; Alex Snedeker of Mt. Vernon, IN; Heath (Kelly) Huisinga of Casey, IL; Landry Huisinga of Casey, IL; Sam (Felicia) Huisinga of Lombard, IL; Dalton Pfeiffer (fiancée Riley Hoover) of Mt. Vernon, IN; and Dale “Trey” Huisinga III of Casey, IL. Great-grandchildren: Ella, Olivia, and Ben Whitacre of Casey, IL; and Hanes Huisinga of Casey, IL. He is also survived by his brother- and sister-in-law, Ronald and Linda Miller of Summerfield, FL; sister-in-law Maggie Wattleworth of Yale, IL; numerous nieces and nephews; and countless farming buddies and friends.
He was preceded in death by his beloved parents, whom he remembered and missed every day; his sister Marilyn (Wilbur) Honselman; his in-laws Joan (Jim) Swick and Gary Miller Sr.; nephew Gary Miller Jr.; and niece Barbara Davidson.
The family would also like to thank some very special caregivers for their compassion, time, and dedication over the last few years: Shelley Ray, Jennifer Ellington, Candy Callahan, Karen Elliott, and Alisha Price.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial contributions be made to the Casey First Baptist Church, 101 E. Alabama Ave., Casey, IL 62420, or The Casey Food Bank %The Casey Ministerial Association, P.O. Box 354, Casey, IL 62420. Donations may be mailed to Pulliam Funeral Home, 302 E. Main Street, Oblong, IL 62449. Envelopes will be provided by the funeral home.
Visitation will be held on Friday, June 13, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Casey First Baptist Church. A short video tribute celebrating the life of Dale Huisinga Sr. will be shown at the conclusion of the visitation, beginning at 7:00 p.m. A private family burial will be held at a later date in the Casey Cumberland Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the care of Pulliam Funeral Home in Oblong, Illinois.
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