Henry "Hank" L. Dihlmann's Obituary
Henry L. “Hank” Dihlmann of 301 N.11th Street died at the age of 100 on March 25, in La Crosse, WI. He was buried on March 30 in a private graveside service at Clinton Lawn Cemetery. The family plans to hold a celebration of Hank’s life in late summer.
He was born to Frederick and Katharina Merz Dihlmann on July 3, 1920, in Mason City, Iowa. He was a graduate of Mason City High School, Mason City Junior College, and Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. He married Margaret Ingledue on June 23, 1943, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Hank joined KROS Radio briefly in 1942 before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II as a member of the 1262nd Combat Engineer Battalion in the European theater. He resumed his broadcast career at KROS in 1946, continuing until his retirement in 1987 as General Manager and part owner of KROS. During 40 years of broadcasting sports for KROS, he announced more than 5000 baseball, football, and basketball games.
Hank was named the 1981 Iowa Sportscaster of the year; received the 1983 News Media Award from the Iowa High School Athletic Association and was a charter member of the KROS Hall of Fame in 1991 during the station’s 50th anniversary celebration. In 1995, the press box at W.J. Yourd Gymnasium in Clinton High School was named in his honor; in 2004, he was named to the Clinton Baseball Club’s Wall of Fame for his many years of broadcasting minor league baseball for Clinton’s Single-A baseball affiliate. In 2013, Hank was named to the newly established Clinton High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
He was a member and Elder at First United Presbyterian Church, a Life Member of Clinton Kiwanis Club, and a long-time member of Clinton Country Club. He was the last of the original members of the “Ten O’clock Coffee Group”, which met weekday mornings for over 50 years.
Hank is survived by three daughters, Margaret Dihlmann-Malzer (Ron Malzer) of La Crosse, Wisconsin; Sally Roode (Joel Roode) of Hampton, Iowa; and Nancy Hardter (Steven Hardter) of Nazareth, Pennsylvania.; and by seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren plus one on the way and one niece. He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, his brother, his son-in-law and a granddaughter.
Anyone who wishes to honor Hank Dihlmann can contribute to First United Presbyterian Church or to the Clinton High School Athletic Department.
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