Memories of Dan Casazza Sr.
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We lost Eric's father on January 1st, 2026.  He had an aortic aneurysm on December 22nd which was very sudden and is usually fatal.  He miraculously made it to surgery and was making a great recovery until January 31st, when his lungs started to fail him.  He lived a big life, left a huge legacy, and loved the Lord.  In Larry's perfect words, "he powered through life, leaving a big wake."  He will be missed. 
 
This is a link to Dan's obituary.   

This is a picture of Dan at his confirmation.
  And a school picture, super cute.  
   

High school
This is a photo of him with his mother Margaret and all five siblings. By birth order,
Trudie, Larry, Dan, Tim, and Mike.  Dan is at the far left of this photo.  		  
   
During his service with the U.S. Marines.  He did recon deep in the jungle,
seeing considerable combat during the Vietnam war.  		 I wish I'd have asked him the story behind this photo.  I don't know it.  
   

Taken by Rose while on a date, you can tell he liked her!  
After the war, Dan moved to Tucson where he met Rose.  
This is one of their dates.		  
   

Their early days together.  
  On the night of their surprise (to Rose) engagement party. 
 He told her to wear something nice so she sewed up that dress right quick.  
   
 Wedding day!   
   
Fast forward a few years, here he is as a young father with Larry, Dan, and baby Eric.   Now the baby is Mark.  
   

One of the only hunting trips the boys got to take with Dan, this is a great 
memory for them. 
Another group photo, this one includes baby Jeb.  By now they are living in Montana.   
   

Family photo, the baby is still Jeb.  Dan is holding a kitten. It looks like Larry is holding a 
pie chart - so it seems he was always an engineer!
  This time Jeb is holding a kitten.  Son Dan is holding the other end of the 
stick and got cut out of the frame.  
   
On a fishing trip, the boys look ready to eat.  I love the look on the older boys' faces, "Is Dad really giving him THAT much?"  
   
 Looks like they caught enough fish for everyone.   Family photo with all 7 boys. 
   
 For a time, Dan's brother Larry with his wife and three kids came to live
 with Dan & Rose at the ranch.  Uncle Larry took these photos.  		 The D-C ranch, Dan poured his life into that ranch and made it a beautiful place.  
It's not easy raising a large family on ranching wages!  Dan & Rose worked miracles there. 
   

Dan also became a deacon in the Catholic church.  He performed lots of 
baptisms, funerals, and weddings.
  These pictures are a bit out of order. Dallas is a tiny baby here.  
   

This is in front of the ranch house before they added on to it.   
   Baby Lucas.
   
I like this photo of Eric with his parents.  Uncle Larry probably took this.  Dan Sr. with his siblings and mother again.  Mom is seated.  Siblings left to right
are: Larry, Dan, Tim, Trudie, and Mike.  Now only Uncle Tim is still with us.  
   
   
Dan with lots of helpers.  It's Larry, Dan Sr., Dan Jr., Eric, and Mark  Family photo in the living room they added on to the ranch. 
   

Dan did a ton of missionary work.  First he focused mainly on Guatemala.  Dan, Rose, & all the 
boys younger than Eric had to live in the highlands of Guatemala for one year on one missionary
project.  

One of his first big projects was to build and equip a hospital in the highlands.  He got old, donated 
equipment from hospitals in the USA and drove them all the way to Guatemala in a semi truck. 
They named the hospital (above) after him.  

Before he could do all this, he first had to learn Spanish.  He took an immersion course when he
was probably in his 40's.  He said it was incredibly difficult, but he learned to speak Spanish really well.   
Eric with his new truck, taken as Eric was leaving Montana to start his 
career in the oil industry. 		  
   
In later years, he did a lot of work in several parts of Africa.  He also did missionary work in
Brazil, Mexico, and probably more places that I've forgotten.  		  The ranch.  Home to Dan & Rose for 50 years.  
 
   

I'm about 90% sure I took this photo of baby Rebecca all spiffed up in
Grandpa Dan's coat and hat.  We all love this picture!
  This summer, Rebecca had the chance to put one of Great-Grandpa Dan's
hats on her son, Bryce.  Too cute!  
 

With Madison on "the Massey".  Dan was working on that tractor the week before he had his aneurysm.  

  
    

 

Dan and Rose really threw themselves into the role of Grandma & Grandpa - and they got a lot of chances to practice!  

 

We call these a "7 Boys" picture.  This one was taken at Dan & Rose's 50th Wedding Anniversary party. 
   
   
Dan played a role in each granddaughter's wedding.  This was from Cody & Ashley's wedding. Logan & Cami
   
Caleb & Kathryn Strite & Kaitlyn
   
 Logan & Rebecca They joined me for many a dinner at the Senior Center.  
Here we are at Abayance Bay enjoying BBQ and live music together.  
   
Dan & Rose had a winter place in South Texas for many years.  Their first home there was the
site of our wedding.  We visited them there often.		 Dan was a champion napper!  
 
   
This is Dan speaking at the dedication ceremony of a school in Guatemala
that he helped to construct.  Eric & Rose went on this trip with him for the
dedication of the school.  

The school, Safe Passage, made a beautiful memorial page dedicated to Dan. 

 Dan loved working with horses of all kinds, but he had a special fondness
for draft horses.  

 
    
 
Over the years they visited us in many of the towns
where we lived.  This was from our first year in OKC.

Isn't it funny how they walk just alike!   

  This was at our home in Houston.
    
    

From a family photo shoot we did in 2005, taken by family friend Gary Henderson. 
  Lots of time was spent on the sidelines watching Colter & Bradon play football. 
   
Dan loved his country and his flag.  And that garden in the background too!   An especially nice "7 boys" picture.  
   
Dan was always up for a chuck wagon ride at Cripple Creek Horse Ranch with our friends
Ora Jay & Irene.  Here we are with my parents when they came up for a visit.  		 On a different trip, they were short one wagon driver so Eric did it - as long as his Dad would sit
beside him to tell him what to do!  
 

     

  A "7 Boys" picture on the occasion of Jeb's 50th birthday.

This was taken at The Timbers Lodge. 
 

 

  
A few years ago, we had big excitement when we learned about Josie - 
half-sister to the boys.  They were SO excited to finally have a sister!  

She had been raised by her mother and adopted father from infancy.  She waited 
until they had passed to reach out to her birth father.  We're glad to have her in the family!  

 Josie's first visit to Montana included custom-made brother shirts for each of them.  It was a hoot.  

  
   
We had a surprise dinner for Dan on his 83rd birthday.  He was amazed to walk in and
see most of his sons AND a steak dinner!   		 This summer we got together with Christopher, the "8th son" who was part of the crew who lived
on the ranch for a time when they were boys.  He's the one in orange.  
   
Rose is so sweet, she often purchases my quilts to give as gifts to the grandkids.
Here they pose with Braden as he receives his "going to college" quilt.  		 Dan got a new lease on life when Kristy and her daughter Bellamy came
to live in the cabin next door to the ranch.  Bellamy was his little buddy! 
   
   
   

 
I'm grateful to have known such a unique character as Dan Casazza Sr.  We will miss him! 

 
   
 

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