Cleon Dale Peeples

MADISON-Cleon “Dale” Peeples, age 100, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020. He was born on Nov. 4, 1920, the son of Maude and Paul Peeples. He always went by Dale and his education was till the 5th grade. This did not hold him down. Life was his school and reading. Dale grew up working with his father cutting trees with crosscut saws and axes. He could fix or build just about anything. He told about breaking an ax handle then shaping a new handle from a piece of hickory using the ax head and a piece of glass to smooth the handle. When someone saw the handle, they were amazed at how nice it was and how he had made it with the tools he had. Growing up and living through the great depression you learn how to do with what little you have and keep many things that you might be able to use later. Working the fields for farming was done with horses. This gave him a lifelong love of horses. He enjoyed watching horse pulling contests and going to the yearly horse shows at the Dane County Fairgrounds. He took his sons to many of the shows as they grew. The joy of watching the horse shows continued throughout his life and he went to shows well into his 90s with Boyd. Dale read all the books of Luis Lamour he could get his hands on. He worked on construction and one of the buildings he worked on was Schenk school which three of his grandsons attended. Since there wasn’t much work in the 1950s during the Winter for construction, he would ice fish to help feed his family. The fish would be cooked in a pressure cooker so the bones would be soft and the boys could eat them. Dale was hired as a custodian with the University of Wisconsin and he held another job at the Methodist hospital at the same time to earn enough to purchase his home on Maher Avenue in 1958. Dale fixed up the attic into a room for the boys to have a large bedroom. During his life in the home, he helped build a garage and after retiring an addition was added. He lived in this home till his death. Dale took care of Iris at home till her passing and he didn’t want to go to an assisted living facility or nursing home. With the help of his son he was able to stay in his home. Raising a family with his wife, Iris (Rossdeutscher) Peeples was a gift from God. Being a Godly man, the family attended church services on Sunday, Sunday night and Wednesdays. Billy Graham’s televised revivals were watched each year. Dale help build the Free Methodist Church on Fish Hatchery Road. where he took his family and taught Sunday school classes in that church. Late in his life the prayers to bless his meals and ask for guidance for the day stayed important. Traveling with his family around the country was educational and enjoyable for the whole family. There were hundreds of pictures taken during the travels. He taught his boys to drive manual transmissions by sitting in the car without the engine running and just shifting through each gear over and over to feel where they were before trying to drive and shift. Dale was proud of his boys as they grew into adults. As their families grew, he enjoyed all the grandchildren and eventual great-grandchildren. He was able to see two of his grandsons a week before he passed away which gave him smiles. Helping family in life’s trials and joys was something he did with pleasure. The news of the passing of his only granddaughter, Jessica, was a heavy blow and he dropped the phone when he heard. The night Dale passed on, Boyd asked him if he wanted to see Jessica, Iris and his parents. He was told we would be okay. About half an hour or so later he passed away to be with our Savior Jesus and his loved ones that were waiting for him. Dale is survived by his two sons, Timothy (Cindy) Peeples and Boyd (Nancy) Peeples; two brothers, Robert Peeples and Paul "Jim" Peeples; five grandsons; three step-grandchildren; two great-grandsons; and three step-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Iris Marie Peeples; parents, Maude and Paul Peeples; granddaughter, Jessica Peeples; brother-in-law, Rodney Rossdeutscher; and sister-in-law, Mary Peeples. A funeral service will be held at CROSSPOINT CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE, 5011 Commercial Ave., Madison, at 12 Noon on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. Friends and family who wish to view services may visit the church’s website at https://www.cpnaz.org/. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, social distancing and face masks will be required. Memorials may be gifted in Dale’s name to Agrace HospiceCare. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420