By Deborah Larsen
Dale Elwood Cypher
Dale Elwood Cypher was born in Otter Lake, Michigan, on September 1, 1918, the son of John and Hazel Strong Cypher. The Cypher family moved to Rochester when Dale was a child. He attended Rochester High School and graduated in the class of 1936. After high school, Dale worked at Yellow Truck & Coach in Pontiac.
In April 1942, Dale enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served 33 months overseas in the Pacific Theater and participated in the campaigns for Papua, New Guinea, the Southern Philippines, and Luzon. He was released from military service in September 1945.
After the war, Dale married fellow military veteran Mary Lou Case and started a family. The Cyphers ran Case’s Hardware in downtown Rochester until 1968.
Dale Elwood Cypher died at age 67 on August 19, 1986, and was laid to rest in Mount Avon Cemetery.
Photo courtesy of Steve Cypher.