Harold B. Dull
Harold B. Dull, 97, of Soldiers Grove, died peacefully at home on Friday, Dec 27, 2019.
Harold was born on July 3, 1922, in Soldiers Grove, to Earl Edward Dull and Anna Bell (Bailey) Dull. He attended Soldiers Grove grade school and high school and graduated in 1941.
On Oct. 8, 1942, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He reported to Fort McCoy for basic training. After basic training, he reported to Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Mich., where he worked in a hospital as a medical technician and later as a clerk/secretary with civilian personnel. While at Fort Custer, he was a member of the STAR Unit and was chosen for Army Specialized Training. From August 1943 through May 1944, he attended Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Mich., for Army Specialized Training, where he took general college courses in engineering. Then, he was sent to Camp Crowder in Neosho, Mo., where he was a member of the Signal Corps. He studied electricity in batteries, circuits, communications (ITTT: Installation of Toll, Telegraph and Telephone), and infantry. In 1945, he was sent overseas to Calcutta, India. He was a member of a convoy unit hauling supplies, ammo, and goods across the Ledo Trail through Burma into Kunming, China. At this time, he and other members of the convoy were caught between Nationalist China and Communist China. They were cut off from other Allied troops for approximately six months. Finally, they were rescued and flown back to India, where he spent four months working on the docks. On April 25, 1946, he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army at Fort McCoy.
Harold was very proud of his military service. Harold was also proud of being a farmer, and when he returned home, he began farming with his father. At this time, he took a four-year course of on-the-job training to be a top notch farmer.
On May 1, 1948, he married Lola Wanless, and they raised eight children and farmed on North Clayton Ridge for 62 years. Over the years, he picked apples, buried telephone cable, and worked for Vernon County as a soil conservation technician for 30 years. He did all of this while continuing to work on the family farm. In April, 1946, he became a member of the American Legion Post 220. He was also a member of the North Clayton United Methodist Church, the North Crawford School Board, and the Crawford County Board. In addition, he enjoyed watching baseball and the Green Bay Packers.
Harold is survived by four daughters, Sue (Lee) Knoche of Wetmore, Mich., Claudia Dull of Readstown, Kit Hartman of Aurora, Ill., and Beth (Tom) Eder of Chippewa Falls; three sons, Craig Dull, Wade (Colleen) Dull and Peter Dull, all of Soldiers Grove; one daughter–in-law, Elaine (Clay) Dull of Maquoketa, Iowa; one sister-in-law, Maxine Dull of Sun Prairie; two nephews and one niece; 15 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Harold was preceded in death by his wife, Lola, on Jan 4, 2009; one son, Clay, on Dec. 27, 2008; one sister, Jeannette (Louis) Brunckhorst; two brothers, Omar (Hazel) Dull and Buel (Maxine) Dull; one sister-in-law, Hazel Dull; also a brother-in-law, Louis Brunckhorst.
Funeral services for Harold will be Tuesday Dec. 31, at 11 a.m. at North Clayton Methodist Church on County Road X, rural Soldiers Grove. Pastor Wayne Goplin will officiate. Burial will follow the service at North Clayton Cemetery. Friends may call during visitations, Monday at the Church from 5 to 7 p.m.; also Tuesday before the service from 10 to 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers or plants, memorials are preferred.
