Dale Braden
May 20, 1942 – September 26, 2023
Dale David Braden passed away peacefully at the Portage District General Hospital at the age of 81 years with family by his side.
Dale is lovingly remembered by his wife Karen of 58 years; daughter Mattie (Troy Hickman) and granddaughters Adrie and Drew; son Robert (Heather Croft) and step-granddaughters Bailey and Samantha; mother-in-law Ann Duncan; sister-in-law Beverley Braden; sister-in-law Judy Gushel (Ken); brother-in-law Robert Samels (Therese Vermette); and his nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends. He was predeceased by his parents Robert and Frances Braden; brother Barrie Braden; nephew David Braden; niece Sherri Braden; father-in-law Murray Samels; sister-in-law Barbara Sanderson; brother-in-law Bryan Sanderson; and nephew Bryan Sanderson Jr.
Dale grew up on the family farm in Burnside, west of Portage la Prairie. He attended Burnside School and later, had room and board in town to attend Portage Collegiate Institute. He spent his childhood working on the farm alongside his father and brother and enjoyed spending summers at the Braden family cottage at Delta Beach. Dale met Karen (nee Samels) and the two were married during a winter blizzard on January 22, 1965. They built their lives on the farm and enjoyed traveling, boating, camping, snowmobiling, and motorbiking. Dale was a member of the Burnside Curling Club and his favorite pastime was refinishing Ford Thunderbirds. Dale and Karen welcomed their daughter, Mattie, in 1974 and their son, Robert, in 1977. As a family, they enjoyed spending time in their travel trailer at different places around the province and at the cottage at Delta, and experiencing all the adventures that would come with the family farm. Dale loved working in agriculture and after farming for over 35 years, as well as having a grain drying and crop spraying service, he transitioned to a new career by setting up and managing a storage and transport site for Linear Grain Inc. At 71 years old, Dale was still scaling rail cars, working on machinery, and networking with local farmers. He retired from agriculture in 2013 and in 2015, he and Karen moved off the yard site and into town.
Dale was a private person and had close friends. He was a long-time member of Alcoholics Anonymous, supporting many others in the Portage community on their path to sobriety. Through the organization he made lifelong friends with Herb Roberts and Jerome Faul, and they faced the journey with A.A. together. Dale loved his wife, children, and granddaughters. He loved watching Adrie and Drew play on the sandbars and swim in the lake at Delta. He enjoyed spending time with them and watching them develop their own interests and personalities. Dale was proud of Mattie and Robert and the families and careers they have built, and he loved Karen for the way she cared for him and their family and was proud of all the ways she contributed to the community and built a legacy as a local artist. Dale was always a gentleman. He was kind, warm, and his wonderful sense of humour will be missed by those who knew him well.
In April 2023, Dale was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This was a difficult journey, and the family wishes to thank Central Plains Cancer Services, and the medical staff at St. Boniface Hospital and Portage District General Hospital. A special thanks goes to family friend, Jytte Johnston; Dale’s Family Physician, Dr. Quesada; and Palliative Care Nurse, Emily Gray.
A celebration of Dale’s life will be held at McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel on Friday, October 6, 2023, at 1:00 pm followed by a reception. The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed by registering at the following link https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=7b4c3081-4632-485a-b7c4-302de831c268. A private family interment will be held later that afternoon at Burnside Cemetery.
As an expression of condolence, donations can be made in Dale’s memory to the soon to be established Dale & Karen Braden Fund, c/o The Community Foundation of Portage and District, 206 Saskatchewan Avenue East, Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 0K9. Annual interest from this fund will be designated to Sunset Palliative Care Inc.
A tree will be planted and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel.