Dale was born at home on August 29, 1929 to Earl and Eunice Trommater. He grew up helping his father and brothers on their dairy farm. After graduating from high school, Dale was drafted into the army. He served in the Army Signal Corp. in Japan during the Korean War. After his service was up in 1954, Dale came back home to help his father with dairy farming.

Dale married Donna Robbins on July 3, 1971. Dale adopted Donna's daughter, Jeannine at the age of 10 years. Donna taught elementary school in Hart from 1971 to 1978. They had one daughter, Sarah, born January 6, 1975. Together they fostered children, operated the dairy farm and were members of Hart Wesleyan Church. Additionally, they were active in the development of the Hart Historical District. In 1977 Dale retired from farming and sold the dairy cows and farming equipment. From 1978 to 1988 Dale worked as a janitor at Silver Mills and Sawyers canning factories. After that he worked for Stokely's in Hart, MI.

Dale and Donna became licensed by the State of Michigan as foster parents in 1975 and took many children into their home. Donna was also licensed by the State as a Group Daycare Home and Preschool in 1979. She prepared many children for public school.

Dale is known by everyone for his antiques. He especially enjoyed driving his 1925 Model T Ford Truck in the various local parades. He is widely known for his woodworking skills and was fondly called “Tinker” as he was always busy creating treasures everyone continues to enjoy. Most anyone that knows Dale, has received one of his clocks, wooden bowls or some other kind of craft. Dale also was a skilled hunter with both gun and archery.

After about 60 years on the family farm in Elbridge Township, Oceana Co. Michigan, Dale and Donna sold it and bought a house in Mears, MI. They also brought a place in Plant City, Florida were they wintered for his remaining years. They sold the house in Mears, MI and bought a house near their daughter, Jeannine, in Ohio where they have lived for the last couple of summers.

Dale was loved by all and will be seriously missed. He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it. There are many stories of him helping the local Native American Indians, like the time he gave and hauled two pickup loads of rocks to their local cemetery to mark graves.