Dale William McConchie, 85 of Plainville, was called to be with his Lord
and Savior on Thursday, March 12, 2020, where he was surrounded by
family at the Wagoner Care Center in Wagoner, Oklahoma.
Dale was born May 1, 1934, on the Saline River in Ellis County to
Bill and Stella (Carmichael) McConchie. He was a graduate of Plainville
High School, and a lifelong resident of the area. Dale was raised by the
best parents anyone could ask for. His father was a tool dresser in the
oil fields, in addition to farming and ranching. His mother taught
school at the Blue Hill one-room schoolhouse; and helped run the family
farm. As a child, Dale survived renal failure and a long bout illness
that followed, which required long periods of isolation from sound and
light. Dale recovered from his illness and isolation, and once his
health was restored, he eagerly grew into an extrovert and all-around
“ornery little cuss.” He inherited his father’s love of good jokes and
pranks, finding himself in trouble from a young age for stunts like
hissing through the house vents, where his mother was convinced she was
hearing a snake.
Dale began his scholastic years in his mother’s classroom. He was
active in FFA and 4-H, and he grew up to carry on the family tradition
of farming and ranching. Dale loved to make people laugh, and he would
spend hours on the tractor thinking up funny stories and pranks to play
on others. He was convinced he could have been a writer for Johnny
Carson, if only he’d have written any of it down. Dale was an avid
hunter, and some of his favorite memories were hunting trips with his
cousins, his brother-in-law Joe, and his many friends in Rooks and Ellis
Counties. He hosted many a pheasant hunter from Oklahoma and always
enjoyed their company. Dale was an encyclopedia of guns and ammunition.
He had an incredible collection of firearms and was thrilled to share
this passion with his family and friends, always fabricating something
he could use for target shooting, and was always quick to remind his
fellow shooters to treat every gun as a loaded gun.
Dale was proud to be a Mason with Paradise Lodge #290. He was also a
proud member of the First Christian Church in Plainville, where he
married Mary Ann Longnecker in 1965. The union produced four daughters,
which were the light of his life. Unfortunately, the marriage did not
have a happy ending, but the tumultuous divorce did provide Dale with an
abundance of comedic material for years.
Dale lived a full life and enjoyed simple pleasures. He was always
the first to help a friend (or stranger) in need. He was quick with a
humorous and witty response, he considered everyone “his buddy” and he
could tell stories with the best of them. Target shooting with his
daughters and friends, collecting guns and ammunition, enjoying a
delicious meal at B&B, and attending local estate auctions kept Dale
busy in his retirement years. When Dale had his own equipment auction
last year, his favorite auctioneer Don Hamit took one look in his shop
and said, “Dale, I recognize a lot of these items!” The sale was well
attended, and Dale genuinely enjoyed seeing so many friends, family and
neighbors, as his equipment and implements found new life with new
owners.
Dale enjoyed his last two years living at Brookdale in Hays, where
he and his dog received exceptional care and attention. Jack Burton, a
lifelong neighbor, friend, and Brother from the Paradise Lodge, was
truly a godsend for Dale the last few years. Dale was moved to hospice
care in Wagoner, Oklahoma earlier this year, where he also received
excellent care.
Dale is survived by daughter Amy McConchie of Phoenix, AZ, daughter
Jennifer Magness and son-in-law Steve Nicholas of Wagoner, OK, daughter
Erin Holland and son-in-law Tim Holland of Reno, NV, daughter Briar
McConchie of Kerrville, TX, his three talented grandsons; Trevor (and
Elise Collingsworth) Magness, Bryce Magness and Jacoby Magness, his
beloved dog Tater Tot, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Delma Shoulders, and his best friend Patty Kramer.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 1 PM at Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home in Plainville.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be
made to another provider of excellent care to both Dale and his mother
Stella; the Meals on Wheels Program with the Plainville Senior Citizen
Center, 108 S Jefferson St, Plainville, KS 67663. Cards may be sent to
the family in care of Erin Holland, 16800 Bain Spring Rd, Reno, NV
89521.