We are sad to announce the passing of our dear friend Dale Quist. Dale and his wife Betty, are longtime, generous supporters of the Historic Trondhjem Church. We give thanks for the many memories shared, the relationships he built, and the example he set through his kindness and dedication. While we grieve his passing, we also celebrate a life that made a difference. Dale will be deeply missed.

Dale Quist
1933-2026

Dale Quist passed away in his sleep early Saturday morning January 17, 2026 at his home in Crosslake, MN. Dale would have been 93 in February.  

There will be a funeral service and burial for Dale at Christdala Swedish Church  later in the spring, when the weather permits.  Christdala is about a mile from Millersburg and the old Quist farm where Dale was born and grew up.

 Dale’s Swedish and Norwegian grandfathers were stalwart pioneer settlers in rural Forest Township. On his grandfather’s family farm, Dale learned to work hard and be tough and enduring like his immigrant grandparents. 

When the Christdala Swedish Church congregation disbanded in 1966, Dale and his wife Betty took care of the old church, paid all upkeep expenses, mowed the cemetery grass, and managed funerals and burials.  

In 1994, Dale and his cousin Wayne Quist initiated placement of Christdala on the National Register of Historic Places and formation of the Christdala Preservation and Cemetery Association to provide perpetual care for the old Swedish Church and cemetery. 

Dale was the leader and anchor of the Christdala preservation organization, and he and Betty became the main contributors.

For over 30 years, Dale chaired the Christdala Preservation Association and was active in local civic affairs, promoting his winning “can-do” spirit for the church and community. 

Dale was also a strong supporter in preserving the nearby old Trondheim Norwegian Church near Lonsdale where his mother Laura Docken and her Norwegian immigrant family were early members. 

The following words in tribute to Dale and Betty Quist are etched on a plaque inside the entry to the Christdala Church: 

The Christdala Church Preservation & Cemetery Association recognizes and thanks Dale and Betty Quist for their many years of dedicated service. Dale grew up in this church and when the congregation disbanded in 1966, Dale’s family assumed the task of maintaining the church and cemetery. Dale continued after promising his father that the little church would never fall into disrepair. To learn more of Dale and Betty’s journey, visit the Millersburg Schoolhouse Museum in Millersburg. 

Gifts in memory of Dale Quist may be made to:
 
Christdala Preservation and Cemetery Association
PO Box 103
Dundas, MN 55019