Dale C. Prothero

Private family graveside services will be held for Dale Prothero of Angle Inlet, MN.  He passed away on May 27th at the Altru Hospital in Grand Forks at the age of 88.

Dale Cassman Prothero, one of the original modern-day pioneers of the Northwest Angle, died May 27th, 2017 at the age of 88. Born in Wichita, Kansas on April 17th, 1929 to Elizabeth and Joe Prothero, Dale’s upbringing was characterized by a hard-work ethic and the importance of family. Dale was in the Navy when, in 1947, he married his wife Grace Kirby. They would have celebrated their 70th anniversary this year. Before moving to The Angle in 1961 with Grace and their three young children, Dale worked as a metal lather on the industrial buildings in Wichita. He was also in residential construction and would later put those skills to use in building Prothero’s Post Resort, a family-oriented fishing camp on the shores of Angle Bay, Lake of the Woods.

When first visiting the area as tourists, Dale and Grace’s children remember them fishing every single day, even in the pouring rain. They fell in love with The Angle and were able to purchase land from Swede Carlson. Prothero’s Post Resort, as memory recalls, was the sixth resort to be established on the Northwest Angle, a community that consisted at the time of only twelve families, “including bachelors”.  Dale and Grace remembered paying property taxes of $6 on their first cabin in the early years. They broke ground at The Angle before there was a road, electricity, telephones, and they lived for many years without modern plumbing.

Dale built the resort’s earlier log cabins primarily with a gouge and hand saw, and despite having no electricity for 16 years, some guests have returned each summer for more than half a century, including fourth generations of families.

In the early years, Dale and Grace were involved in the tight-knit community, its chamber of commerce and the ever-changing politics due to border and natural resource regulations. Dale helped Joe Risser build many log-cabin homes in the area that will stand for decades to come. He was very close friends with Huston Lockwood, who garnered a place in local lore as “the philosophical hermit.”

In the off-seasons, Dale built log furniture, driftwood lamps and was always reading, a hobby that certainly helped develop his legendary storytelling and acerbic wit. There were no resort guests that left without taking a good ribbing from Dale and without feeling like family.

He kept a quiet, simple, somewhat solitary life, and yet his impact is far-reaching, both through his resort family and his immediate family. He is survived by daughter Linda Knight (William), son Tim (Cynthia), daughter-in-law Kay, 11 grandchildren, 21 great grand-children, and one great-great-grandchild. He is preceded in death by his son John, his brother Bert, and his parents.

Dale was known for giving good advice. In words that he said often and would certainly say now to those left behind, “Life goes on.”  

At Dale’s request, no formal service will be held.

 Service Information