LeRoy H. DelMain

LeRoy H. DelMain, age 84, of Detroit Lakes,Minnesota, died Friday February 10, 2012 at theCottage at Emmanuel Community in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. LeRoy H. DelMain was born on July 11, 1927 in Frazee, Minnesota, being the fifth child of six children to Oliver and Emma Ernest DelMain. LeRoy attended school in Frazee, and left high school as a junior to enter the United States Navy in 1944. He served as a Fireman on a mine sweeper in the Philippines during WWII, and was honorably discharged in 1946. LeRoy returned to Frazee to graduate from high school. After high school LeRoy worked a couple of part-time jobs and then started as a manual laborer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Through hard work and correspondence courses he came to know the highway construction business literally from the ground up. LeRoy worked for MNDOT for 46 years and earned the title of Design Engineer. A notable accomplishment of his was the Frazee rest area on Highway 10, which he designed. Marlis Ione Malde, a school teacher, and LeRoy met in Alexandria, Minnesota and were married June 4, 1955 in Marlischr(39) hometown of Park River, North Dakota. Thecouple lived in Alexandria and Winona, Minnesota and in 1957 moved to Detroit Lakes. They built one of the first homes on the east shore of Long Lake, outside ofDetroit Lakes, which became their permanent home. LeRoy was an avid outdoorsman and loved to hunt, fish, and camp. He enjoyed hunting waterfowl, upland birds and deer, but was most passionate about being in the Rocky Mountains hunting elk. LeRoy fished anytime that he was able, and wentwherever the fish were biting: undisclosed local lakes, Canada, Alaska, Texas, or the ocean. He regularly took his family camping in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, as well as throughout Minnesota. He enjoyed collecting rocks during the camping trips, which he later used in building a fireplace in their home. After retirement, LeRoy played more golf, cards, and enjoyed time with friends. They wintered in New Braunfels, Texas for 12 years. LeRoy was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and First Lutheran Church in Detroit Lakes. Leroy is survived by his wife of 56 years, Marlis; three daughters, Lea (Dean) Langley, of Albany, Minnesota; Ann (Mark) Johnson, of Elko, Minnesota; and Kim (Larry) Roth, of Montgomery, Minnesota; eleven grandchildren, Jenna Troung, Marit Langley, Anders Langley, Marcus Langley, Matthias Langley, Kayley Lien, Gabe Johnson, Rich Johnson, Britta Roth, Analise Roth, Philip Roth; one great grandchild, Ashlyn Overett; and one sister, Eileen Stein, of Richland, Washington. LeRoy was preceded in death by his parents, one brother; Neville DelMain, three sisters; Dorothy Amy, Izora Pany, and Lorraine Ponto.