Dale Oliver Cronkhite Sr., 56, of Peoria, Ill., passed away at 6:10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008, in the emergency room of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Ill.
Dale was born on Nov. 13, 1951, to Oliver Harold and Donna Ruth (Baxley) Cronkhite in Indianapolis, Ind. He graduated from Richmond High School in Richmond, Ind. He attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. Dale married Cecelia Glogoza on Aug. 28, 1971, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Ind., with Monsignor Kavanaugh officiating.
Dale is survived by his wife, Cecelia; and three children, Dale Jr. and Milessa (Bush), Clinton and Amy (LeRoy) and Mindy Marie (Steven) Tiesmeyer of Dunnellon, Fla.; five grandsons, Zachary, Nathan, Christopher, Jacob and Ben; grandson number six, Conner, is due to arrive within the next few weeks; two granddaughters, Isabella and Emily; his Aunt Virginia (Robert) Knauer of Cincinnati, Ohio; his brother, Mark of Speedway, Ind.; stepsister, Helen (Chuck) Norman of Bushnell, Fla.; half sisters, Kathleen (Wallace) Kilgore of North Hampton, N.H., and Cindy (Denis) Tranchemontagnes of Bedford, N.H.; and a multitude of nieces and nephews.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents.
Dale began his 35 years in the insurance industry with Country Companies in 1973. He opened Eagle Rock Cronkhite Insurance Agency in 1999 in Peoria, Ill.
Dale enjoyed most sports. He coached pony league baseball in the early 1990s. He was an avid member of Single Action Shooting Society.
One of his greatest joys was reenacting the cowboy ways of the old west. He thoroughly enjoyed the monthly matches at several local clubs, especially McLean County Peacekeepers in Bloomington, Shady Creek Shootists in Monmouth, Tri-County Cowboys of Hazelhurst, Vermillion Long Riders of Streator, Ill., Iowa Irregulators in Milan and Illinois River City Regulators in Chillicothe.
He was a lifetime member of Chillicothe Gun Club. He was a proud sponsor of the two-day annual St. Jude Cowboy Charity Match held at the Monmouth and Milan clubs.
A funeral Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 5, at St. Mary's Lourdes Catholic Church in rural Germantown Hills, Ill., with Father Neri Greskoviak officiating. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at Mason Funeral Home, Germantown Hills Chapel. Cremation rites will then follow his Mass.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in his name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the American Heart Association.
