Darwin L. Dasher

Darwin Dasher, 76, of Winterset died Sunday, December 7, 2014 at his home. A visitation with family present will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 9th at Ochiltree Funeral Service in Winterset. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 10th at Ochiltree’s with a luncheon to immediately follow at the Grace Baptist Church also in Winterset. Memorials may be directed to the Grace Christian Academy or to Darwin’s family and online condolences may be left for the family at ochiltree.com. Darwin Lee Dasher was born December 15, 1937 in Lincoln, Nebraska to Melvin and Blossom (Zuerlein) Dasher. He attended school in Lincoln and graduated from Lincoln High in 1955 and enrolled in the University of Nebraska as a music major the fall of that year. He played trombone and enjoyed being part of several dance bands and was a member of the Nebraska National Guard Bank in Lincoln. The summer of 1957 he met his future wife, Carol who was also enrolled as a music major at the University. He graduated from the University the spring of 1959. Darwin auditioned for the Air Force Band that spring and was accepted as a trombone player. After basic training in Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, he was stationed in a band at Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix, Arizona. He returned to Nebraska in 1960 to marry Carol on August 21, 1960. The couple moved to Arizona for one year and then Darwin was transferred to the band at Holbrook Air Force Base in the Panama Canal Zone in 1961. Darwin proceeded to the Canal Zone by himself and wife Carol remained with her parents in Nebraska for one year. The spring of 1962 he reunited with wife Carol as she was able to join him as an Air Force dependent. They rented an apartment in Panama City and had an exciting time living in a foreign country. After political unrest in the Canal Zone, Darwin and wife Carol were evacuated back to the states the winter of 1964. Darwin began his teaching career teaching vocal and instrumental music in Clarks, Nebraska Public Schools in January 1964. He taught there for one and a half years after which he and Carol took a memorable two month camping trip to the states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The fall of 1965 Darwin took a position teaching instrumental music in the Fremont Mills schools near Tabor, Iowa. He taught there two years and in 1967 he enrolled as a graduate student at Arkansas State University. He received his Masters Degree in Music Education the spring of 1968 whereupon he and Carol moved to Winterset where he taught instrumental music on several levels until his retirement in 1996. Darwin had many students who gave him joy and who have communicated with him since his retirement. Those communications were fulfilling to him and gave him the satisfaction that his work was significant and productive. Darwin was a lifelong musician, participating in the Des Moines Big Band, Iowa Veterans band, singing in several church choirs, playing and directing both in the Winterset Community Band and singing in the Southern Gospel quartet “Men of Grace” for several years. Darwin is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carol Dasher of Winterset; son, Joel Dasher of Minot, North Dakota; daughter, Amy Kerr of Winterset and grandchildren, Devon Dasher, Ella, Lily, Julia and Sophie Christensen. He is also survived by his sister, Jean (Orville) Basel of Lincoln, Nebraska and half-brother, Charles (Fran) Beard of Palm Beach, California. He was preceded in death by his parents.