Dale "Doc" C. Colby

Dale "Doc" Colby, age 96 of Alexandria, formerly Glenwood, died peacefully, Saturday, April 4, 2026 at home. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held on Monday, April 13, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Glenwood Lutheran Church with Rev. Krista Lee officiating. Visitation will be Sunday, April 12th from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood. Visitation will also continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday. Inurnment will be in the Glenwood Lutheran Cemetery. Arrangements are with the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the MN/ND Veteran's Honor Flight or Moments Hospice Foundation.

Dale “Doc” Claude Colby was born on September 3, 1929, in Lisbon, North Dakota, to Edward and Winnie (Sterner) Colby. Doc was the fifth of nine children and grew up on a farm near Rutland, North Dakota, where he attended school. His early years on the farm helped shape the strong work ethic, practical skills, and steady character that would define his life.

Doc entered the United States Army on April 18, 1952, and served his country honorably in the Army Special Services, known as SCARWAF (Special Category Army Personnel With Air Force), where he ran heavy equipment and helped build roads in France. He was honorably discharged from active duty on March 23, 1954 and done with his reserve service on April 18, 1960. After his military service, he worked for Melroe Bobcat of Gwinner, North Dakota for two years.

On September 3, 1955, Doc was united in marriage to Joan Lee Cady in Webster, South Dakota. Together they built a life centered on faith, family, and hard work. The couple made their home in Forman, North Dakota, until moving to Glenwood in 1961. They were blessed with four children.

After moving to Glenwood, Doc worked for Clydes, first at Clyde Ranch from 1961-1974 and then in 1974 for the manufacturing company, Clyde Machines until 1991. In addition to his employment, he also farmed, in 1986, Doc and Joan purchased their own land that Doc farmed and later rented out. The family eventually moved to Grove Lake, where Doc continued farming from 1999 until 2023. He and Joan retired and moved to Grand Arbor in Alexandria on April 13, 2023.

Doc was a member of Glenwood Lutheran Church and the Glenwood American Legion. He took great pride in his lawn and cared for it with attention and dedication, installing his own irrigation system. He also did all his own repairing of his farm equipment and did much of the welding on the machinery himself. He was known as a man who could fix what needed fixing and who approached every task with skill and determination.

He will be remembered most for his deep love for his wife and family. Doc was a hard worker who encouraged his children to pursue a good education and to go above and beyond in their jobs. He often reminded them, “Anything worth doing, is worth doing well.” Those words reflected the way he lived his own life, with purpose, responsibility, and pride in a job well done. He was loving, intelligent, and handy, and those qualities were evident to all who knew him. Doc died peacefully surrounded by his family on April 4, 2026 at home in Alexandria.

Doc is survived by his wife of 70 years, Joan; son, Dale C. (Polly) Colby Jr.; daughters, Shelly (Keith) Myrom, Vicky (Randy) Guderian, and Karla (Gary) Mikkelson; grandchildren, Erin, Paul, Daniel, Ben, Joanie, Abby, Alisha, Cole, Scott, Emily, and Hannah; 22 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren, Avery and Archer Ferris; and his brother, Larry Colby.

He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Ione Warren, Calvin Colby, Al Colby, Edward Colby Jr., Marlene Stenvold, Joyce Narum, and Cozette Wehunt.

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