Passed away on May 17, 2010

Douglas H. Dambach, Sr., age 91, of Black River Falls, died Monday, May 17, 2010 at Pine View Care Center, Black River Falls, under the care of Black River Memorial Hospice. Douglas Harrison Dambach was born on October 1, 1918 in the Town of Irving to Charles and Hazel (Byrns) Dambach. When his dad returned from World War I, the family moved to Melrose, WI. The Dambachs later lived in the Disco and Spring Creek areas before moving to Black River Falls. Doug attended the O’Brien, Spring Creek, and Black River Falls schools. As a young man, he worked at the Jackson Box Factory, Waughtal Store and Garage, and Boeklke’s Service Station. He entered the U.S. Army on June 28, 1942. He was assigned to Company C 62nd Signal Battalion. He took his basic training at Camp Crowder, MO, and Camp Claiborne, LA. He took part in the North African and Italian Campaigns. After V.E. Day, his company was sent via the Panama Canal to the Philippines and Japan. He witnessed the destruction caused by the Atomic bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He received his honorable discharge from the Army on November 29, 1945. In the spring of 1946, Doug became employed as a carpenter apprentice with Bill O’Brien. In 1947, he began his own carpenter business and later added cabinetry and furniture making. He married Elvina J. “Lovey” Nerby of Hixton on November 29, 1947. The couple first lived in Hixton and moved to their nice home in Black River Falls, which Doug built, in 1952. He was a lifetime member of the Miles-Hagen American Legion Post #200 and was past vice-president of the Co. C 62nd Signal Battalion reunions. Doug and Lovey attended many of the Co. C. Signal Battalion reunions in various cities all of the United States. He enjoyed playing his piano, accordion, and guitar. His other hobbies included woodworking, listening to country and western music, collecting beer cans, Jackson County history, reading and collecting National Geographic magazines, video taping historical events such as the Black River Flood of 1991, and studying various old buildings. Doug will be remembered for the many beautiful houses he built in and around Jackson County with the assistance of Irvin Galster and Ellsworth Severson. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Elvina “Lovey” Dambach; 3 daugthers, Diane Dambach of Madison, Carol (Scott) VanGorden of Waynesboro, GA, and Janet (fiancé, Brian Dobson) Vranish of Taylor; a son, Douglas N. Dambach, Jr. of Black River Falls; 3 granddaughters, Nicole Person, Tarah Vranish, and Jessie Vranish; a step-grandson, Garrett VanGorden: 5 great grandchildren, Savana, Rylan, Kiearra, Brianna, and Lindsay; 2 sisters, Dorothy Krpata of Black River Falls and Brenda (Kelly) Wackersbarth of Onalaska; 3 sisters-in-law, Harriet Nerby of Black River Falls, and Vera Nerby of HIxton, and Verna (Don) Stine of New Berry Springs, CA; a brother-in-law, Myron Nerby of Hixton; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; 2 sisters, Janice Savage and Charlotte Berg; 9 brothers-in-law; 6 sisters-in-law; and his father-in-law and mother-in-law. Funeral services will be held at 11 A.M. on Friday, May 21, 2010 at the Buswell Funeral Home, Black River Falls. Rev. Lon Jury will officiate and burial, with full military honors, will be in Riverside Cemetery, Black River Falls. Family and friends are invited for visitation from 5 to 7 P.M. on Thursday, May 20, 2010 and on Friday from 10 A.M. until 11 A.M. at the Buswell Funeral Home. Memorials are preferred to the Miles-Hagen American Legion Post #200. Online condolences are available at www.buswellfuneralhome.com