Dean E. Althouse age 96, passed from this life to be with Jesus on Friday, November 29, 2024 at The Meadows Assisted Living facility in Fall River, WI. Dean was born on August 27, 1928 to Clarence and Leona (Isbell) Althouse in Toledo, OH. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1946 until 1953. Dean was married to Nancy Hassall in Toledo OH and together raised four children.

Upon graduation from high school in June of 1946, Dean immediately joined the U.S. Navy. He served two enlistments, receiving his final discharge in 1953 after service in the Korean War.

He joined AT&T upon his discharge where he met and married Nancy Hassall. Dean worked his entire career for AT&T, holding positions in Toledo, Ohio, Marquette, Michigan, Jackson County, Michigan, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Dean and Nancy served as foster parents for infants and young children during their decade in Cincinnati. They also were always very much involved in the churches they attended throughout their marriage. Dean served as deacon much of time, drove the Sunday school bus, sang in the choir, visited shut-ins and taught Sunday School classes. For 35 years, from the time of his retirement, Dean was an ever-present help in many ways at the Rock Bible Chapel in Michigan.

Dean retired at the age of 56 and moved to an old farmstead on 80 acres in Rock, Michigan which he had held onto when his job required him to move to the lower peninsula of Michigan years before. He began a one-man operation of raising beef cattle for market, living the simple country life he had always longed for.

In retirement, Dean deliberately chose a life of planned hard work. He heated his old Finnish-built log cabin with a woodstove, spending each winter harvesting the following year's firewood from his back 40 by hand, splitting it all by swinging a splitting maul into his 90s. He used decades old equipment in the operation of his farm, never finding a time when he wasn't elbow deep in some repair project keeping the old equipment working. He built his outbuildings upon a framework of cedar logs harvested from his land. Much like his ancestors, every day required purposeful, manual work to support his chosen lifestyle. He was blessed to live that life until only the last 4 years when he moved back to Wisconsin to be closer to his wife and children, and enjoy rest from his long years of labor, being cared for by the genuine, loving attention he received from the wonderful staff at the Meadows of Fall River.

Dean was a lifetime member of the Rock, Michigan American Legion, serving for a time as Post Commander.

Survivors include his wife, Nancy; his son Benjamin (Sandra) Althouse; three daughters Candace Kothmann, Lydia (Wes) Wojciechowski and Rebekah (Mark) Picard; five grandchildren Amanda (Mike) Steinhilber, Amber Hoover, Eileen Kleidon, William Picard and Matthew Picard; nine great grandchildren; three great, great grandchildren; other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers David, James, Philip, Ray, Lyle; one sister Hazel; grandson Bryan Chapman.

A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 A.M. at Calvary Chapel, Madison on January 11, 2025.

Inurnment will be in Woods National Cemetery, Milwaukee with full military honors.

We encourage you to share your online condolences with Dean's family at jensenfuneralandcremation.com