Wenceslaus (Jim) Joseph Dibala, the son of John and Mary Dibala (nee Drexler), cherished husband of Ethel
Francis Dibala (nee Pollard), brother, father, grandfather, great grandfather, friend, much respected and
loved resident of Reedsport, Scottsburg and the Central Oregon Coast, passed away October 29, 2013.
Jim the 8th of 17 children was born August 18, 1924 in Sulfur, OK . He briey lived in Texas before his family
relocated to the Woodburn, Scott's Mills, Crooked Finger area in Oregon when he was only 4 years old.
Jim was conscripted into the U.S. Army, April 19, 1943. He served in the European Theater during WWII. He
was a transport driver, serving in the 3rd Army with the 119th AAA Gun Battalion under the command of
General George S. Patton. Jim was at the Battle of the Bulge and help liberate the Auschwitz prison camps,
he reached the rank of Corporal ultimately ending up a PFC and was discharged in 1945.
After Jim’s stint in the Army he met and married the love of his life, Ethel Pollard of Colton on September 18,
1948, at St. William’s Catholic Church in Molalla, Oregon. Their union produced ve children in quick succession.
First arrival was Darlene, September 1, 1949, then Eugene, December 7th, 1950, Daniel, December 18,
1951, Wence, February 27, 1953 and last, but not least, the baby Patrick, September 13, 1954.
After they were married Jim and Ethel lived in Scott’s Mills, Silverton, Mollala, Portland, Taft and back to
Colton. Jim loved the woods. He became an accomplished woodsman and excelled as a logger, specically
a cutter. In 1962 they moved to Reedsport and acquired Echo Resort on Highway 38, up the Umpqua River.
Here Jim practiced his favorite pastimes of shing, shing, shing and golf.
In 1972, after the nal member of the brood had left the nest Jim and Ethel sold Echo Resort and moved up
Lutsinger Creek, near Scottsburg on the south side of the Umpqua River. While here four grand children
were added to the family. It was the mid 1970s when Jim and his sons, Wence and Pat, established Dibala’s
Country Smokehouse producing Jim’s Jerky. As decade of the 1980s unfolded four more grand children
entered the family. The Jerky business was successful but as retirement approached the business was sold.
In the 1990s Jim and Ethel found a comfortable little cottage in a quiet cul de sac on Ridgeway Court over
looking Forest Hills Country Club green #7 in Reedsport. Ethel sold realestate and Jim had the time to
indulge in his favorite activities of shing, shing, shing and golf. Here Jim and Ethel enjoyed the fruits of
their labors and as the millennia turned and continued they watched their family grow with the addition of
seven great grandchildren. Bringing much joy and love into their lives. Jim loved his family, shing and golf,
in that order.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents John and Mary Dibala, brothers John, Otto, Hubert and twin sisters
Henrietta and Edith of Houston, brother Frank of Scott’s Mills, sister Freddie (Betty) Reed of Cottage Grove,
brother Henry George (infant), Peter (Eleanor) of Roseburg, Paul (Gena) of Scott’s Mills, Ladiaslaus (Lauddie)
of Molalla and William (Billy) of Salem.
Jim is survived by his wife of 65 years Ethel, children Darlene (Russ) of North Bend, Eugene of Orlando,
Daniel (Jana) of Amarillo, Wence (Ruth) of Reedsport and Patrick (Nancy) of Blue River. Grand children Justin
Hillis of Orlando, son of Darlene, Lisa Hillis of Reedsport, daughter of Darlene, Dustin Dibala of Reedsport,
son of Wence and Ruth, Emily (Ray) of North Bend, daughter of Wence and Ruth, twins Brian and
Steven Wood, Mark Wood and Jimmy Dibala of Klamath Falls, sons of Pat and Nancy and Jan
(pronounced Jon) of Amarillo, son of Dan and Jana. Great grandchildren, Corbin and Jessie, children
of Lisa Hillis, Chase, Haley, Maya, Charlee, Faith, Braelyn Lillian children of Emily (Ray). He is also survived
by siblings Anne Maure of Mt. Angel, Robert (Johnie) of Scottsburg, Dorothy (Wayne) Pollard
of Arlington, WA, Leo (Nova) of La Pine, sister-in-law Gena Dibala, many nieces, nephews, cousins
and friends, especially Steve and Joan Godin of Lutsinger Creek, Scottsburg.