David John Dobihal (1955 - 2014)

Born 20 Jun 1955 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 9 Nov 2014 at age 59 in North Branch, Chisago, Minnesota, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lisa Roberts [send private message]

Biography

David John Dobihal was born on 20 Jun 1955 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota, United States to Charles Curtis Dobihal and Mary Lou Parkos. He met his future wife Lee Ellen Bragg while they were both in the Marine Corps, stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, United States. They married on 12 Apr 1980 at Beatitudes of Our Lord Catholic Church, in La Mirada, Los Angeles, California, United States, and they had 2 daughters: 

1. Jennifer Rose Dobihal
2. Lisa Marie Dobihal m. Mark Leroy Roberts

David died on 9 Nov 2014 in North Branch, Chisago, Minnesota, United States. He was cremated and his ashes remain with his wife Lee Ellen Bragg.

Baptism

Godparents Mary Bruzek and Bernie Cashman with Fr. John Francis Parkos as proxy.

Residence

1982-1985: Lakewood, Jefferson, Colorado, United States

1985-1990: Whittier, Los Angeles, California, United States

1990-2003: Fort Collins, Larimer, Colorado, United States

2003-2009: North Branch, Chisago, Minnesota, United States

Occupation

Teenage years- about 1980: Raced motorcycles

Teenage years-2003: Ford Master Technician

Most of his life: Was skilled at fixing anything with a motor such as lawnmowers, snowmobiles as well as most cars/trucks/motorcycles. He could tell you fine details about anything with a motor.

Military

Joined the Marine Corps in about 1978 and stayed there until 1981. He was Marine of the Month several times and was promoted meritoriously 4 times. He was an E5 (Sargent) and was at the head of the class in gun school. He was in charge of M16 rifles and all other firearms for a Marine battalion and 5 Navy companies. He was a troubleshooter for the Marine Corps, he went to other armories to repair guns and reorganize their armories. He held the values and practices he learned in the Marine Corps throughout his life. He was very proud to have the title "Marine".

Hobbies

When Dave was in the Marine Corps, he was an avid scuba diving instructor and went on many dives with his wife-to-be Lee Ellen Bragg. For most of his adult life, he did competition pistol shooting. He won several awards during these competitions. He raced small boats in his early adulthood. He loved to go on long snowmobile or 4-wheeler rides. He frequently went to visit his parents, Chuck Dobihal and Mary Lou Parkos in Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States. They had a lakefront property David loved eating his mother's home cooking and both he and his father loved going fishing and going on boat rides, snowmobile, or 4-wheeling together. David was also a great storyteller, he always had a story about something in his life that related to the current discussion.

Obituary

Grandstrand Funeral Home & Cremation Services

David J. Dobihal, age 59 of North Branch died on Sunday, November 9, 2014, at his residence.

David was born on June 20, 1955, in Austin to parents, Chuck and Mary Lou (Parkos) Dobihal. He moved with his family during his childhood years and graduated from North St. Paul High School in 1973. He attended 916 Vo-Tech School where he studied automotive mechanics. He joined the U.S. Marine Corp. in 1975 and served his country for five years. The Marines is also where he met his future wife, Lee Ellen and who he married on April 12, 1980 in California. Dave and Lee Ellen moved back to Minnesota and he studied becoming a gunsmith at Pine Technical College in Pine City. They eventually moved to Colorado where he worked as a master mechanic and gunsmith and where their two daughters were born. David loved hunting, snowmobiling, motorcycling, target and competitive shooting and truly loved the Colorado wilderness and Elk hunting. David and Lee Ellen moved back to Minnesota in 2003 and settled in North Branch where he continued to work in automotive mechanics and gunsmithing.

David is survived by his best friend and first true love, Lee Ellen; daughters, Jennifer Dobihal of Ft. Collins, CO, and Lisa (Mark) Roberts of Greeley, CO; his parents, Chuck and Mary Lou Dobihal of Bigfork; sister, Katherine Albers of Vadnais Heights; brothers, Mark (Jane) of Rhineland, WI; Tom (Monica) of St. Paul; Mike (Lorie) of Hugo and Charlie (Cathy) of Maplewood. He is also survived by his three grandchildren, Michael, Anika, and John.

Memorials preferred to the Mass.

Sources

• "Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VC6V-DN6 : 6 May 2014), David John Dobihal, 20 Jun 1955; from "Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2004); citing Mower, Minnesota, United States, Minnesota Department of Health, Minneapolis.

• "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016"
  "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: North Saint Paul High School; Year: 1972
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1265 #608586897 (accessed 11 August 2023)
  Name: David Dobiahl; Estimated Age: 16; Birth Year: abt 1956; Yearbook Date: 1972; School: North Saint Paul High School; School Location: North St Paul, Minnesota, USA.

• "California Marriage Index, 1960-1985," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6DV-QF1 : 27 November 2014), David J Dobihal and Leeellen Bragg, 12 Apr 1980; from "California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2007); citing Los Angeles, California, Center of Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento.

• "U.S., Phone and Address Directories, 1993-2002"
  City: Whittier; State: California; Year(s): 1994
  Ancestry Record 7339 #261611847 (accessed 11 August 2023)
  Name: David Dobihal; Gender: Male; Residence Years: 1994; Address: 7930 Bright Ave 7; Residence Place: Whittier, California, USA; Zip Code: 90602; Phone Number: 310-696-8676.

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KTDJ-W8K : 21 December 2019), David J Dobihal, 1993.

• "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995"
  Original data: Original sources vary according to directory. The title of the specific directory being viewed is listed at the top of the image viewer page. Check the directory title page image for full title and publication information
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2469 #1501091589 (accessed 11 August 2023)
  Name: David Dobihal; Residence Year: 1995; Street Address: 2461 Marquette St FC80525......... 484-8310; Residence Place: Fort Collins, Colorado; Publication Title: Fort Collins, Colorado, City Directory, 1995.

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K5DJ-Z2M : 22 May 2014), David John Dobihal, Residence, North Branch, Minnesota, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information.

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJL2-CDGZ : 16 May 2014), David Dobhal, Residence, North Branch, Minnesota, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information.

• "U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019"
  Original data: Voter Registration Lists, Public Record Filings, Historical Residential Records, and Other Household Database Listings
  Ancestry Record 62209 #286915572 (accessed 11 August 2023)
  Name: David John Dobihal [David J Dobhal]; Birth Date: Jun 1955; Residence Date: 2003-2020; Address: 5299 Pine Ln; Residence: North Branch, Minnesota, USA; Postal Code: 55056; Second Residence Date: 1990-2016; Second Address: 2461 Marquette St; Second Residence: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Second Postal Code: 80525; Third Residence Date: 1985-2002; Third Address: 7930 Bright Ave Apt 7; Third Residence: Whittier, California, USA; Third Postal Code: 90602.

• "Minnesota, U.S., Death Index, 1908-2017"
  Minnesota Department of Health; St Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2017; Certificate Number: 2014-Mn-034741
  Ancestry Record 7316 #3144268 (accessed 11 August 2023)
  David John Dobihal death 9 Nov 2014 (born 20 Jun 1955), son of Charles Curtis Dobihal & Mary Lou Parkos, in North Branch, Chisago, Minnesota, USA, mother's maiden name Parkos.

• Obituary by Grandstrand Funeral Home & Cremation Services: [1]

• Firsthand information from daughter Lisa Dobihal

• Secondhand information provided by his wife Lee Ellen Bragg and parents Charles Curtis Dobihal and Mary Lou Parkos

• FamilySearch Person: LTJM-Y5J