Wilton Dale Hardenburg

W. DALE HARDENBURG, of Palm Springs, died Oct. 5, 2002 in Torrance, CA. He was born July 20, 1917 in Pontiac , Michigan. He was a former resident of Redondo Beach, CA; Clear Lake City, TX, Commack, NY, Seattle, WA, Lincoln, NE and El Paso, TX. Mr. Hardenburg worked with NASA for several years. He was last employed in Orbital Operations of the satellite DSCS-2 as a Systems Specialist at TRW Systems, Inc. of Redondo Beach, CA. He retired from there in 1979, later moving into their Palm Springs, CA home with his wife in 1981. He served in the Army Air Corp in WWII as an instructor in Aircraft Radio and Radio Navigation at Sioux Falls, SD for a total of 37 months with 8 mo. of overseas service in the Pacific Theater on the Island of Tinian in the Mariana group. After leaving the service in 1946, he joined the Naval Reserve. He held Honorable Discharges from both branches. During this time he also passed testing for a Commercial Telegraphers license and a Radio Amateurs license (WB6ZLZ). He was also a charter member of the Palm Springs Air Museum where he performed as a docent. He was a graduate of the Electronics Institute's 3 year Engineering course, majoring in Television Systems, located in Detroit, MI in 1951. Further education at the University of Washington was taken during employment by American Bosch, Arma Div. at Boeing Field, Seattle, WA. in 1958-62. Local activities of Mr. Hardenburg were centered mainly around Palm Springs Public Library through the Friends of the Palm Springs Library, the Save the Welwood Murray Memorial Library Committee and the subsequent formation of the Welwood Murray Memorial Library, Inc. formed when the City stopped funding the downtown branch. He acted as Vice Pres. of the Friends of the Palm Springs Public Lib. and Membership Chairman for several years until 1990. Awards to Mr. Hardenburg during those years were the William Dean award for outstanding service, 1990 and Honorary Life Membership in the Friends organization, 1990. In recent years, he and his devoted late wife, Jeanette Holmes Wright Hardenburg, have been associated with the corporation operating the downtown Welwood Library. She as Secretary and he as Bookstore Manager. Mr. Hardenburg and his late dear wife, are survived by one child; Nancy Dale Hardenburg Sapien and her two boys, Jason and James, all of Redondo Beach, CA, and a sister, Velma Hardenburg Steel of Pontiac, MI. Kenneth Wright Harden, eldest son, was killed in Mt. Pleasant, TX while at his business in 1990. Donald Dale Hardenburg, second and last son died in 1998. Other grandchildren are Shannon Colby and Susan Jaranowski, daughters of Ken and Carol Courtney Jones living with their families in MI. Also daughters of Ken are Megan Lawson and Kennedy Serr of Palmer, AK with their families, Also sons of Ken, Corey and Che, living in Washington State. Also another daughter, Angie Hardenburg Francis, living in Anaheim Hills, CA with her husband and sons. Memorial Services are pending. Private cremation and burial will be in Redondo Beach, CA in a duel cremation plot at Pacific Crest Cemetery. Son, Ken is buried there as well.