Dale Grimm met his wife, Carol, and stayed in New Carlisle, eventually working in recording, sales and other businesses before buying the New Carlisle News in 2008.
He published that newspaper for 10 years, adding the Enon Eagle, Tippecanoe Gazette and Troy Tribune.
After that he was elected to New Carlisle city council in November 2019, serving a four-year term, and then was re-elected last November. For two years of his first term, he was vice mayor.
Andy Grimm said his father made friends from all walks of life for serious reasons — “He had an infectious smile, always trying to be positive. … He was honest. He preached forgiveness.” But he also stood out for his unique quirks.
“If you saw my dad at the Fair at New Boston, or any downtown farmer’s market in New Carlisle, he’d be shoeless, 100% of the time,” Grimm said. “It could be 10 degrees outside. He said shoes were a tool of the devil.”
New Carlisle City Manager Randy Bridge called Grimm “a fantastic guy.”
“Working with Mr. Grimm through the years was a pleasure,” Bridge said. “He always had the best interests of the city in mind. It’s a huge loss for our community.”
Dale Grimm was a regular with the New Carlisle Rotary Club and a Thursday night euchre group. His son said he was also “super proud” of awards the New Carlisle News received from the VFW and American Legion for the newspaper’s work covering honor flights, ROTC events and other military news.
“The paperboy was the biggest thing to him. He loved that he gave young people an opportunity to learn work ethic and to build character,” Andy said, adding that his father’s belief in others was inspiring, including to himself.
Dale Grimm took up driving a school bus for the Tecumseh district in his final years, while serving on city council. He died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by a sister, a brother, three children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His wife, Carol, died in 2010.
Grimm had remained an active city council member, attending meetings and voting, all the way through the last meeting before his death, July 15. At that meeting, he announced his resignation, effective July 31.
Future of council seat
New Carlisle City Manager Randy Bridge said city code spells out the procedure for filling Grimm’s council seat.
After the city publishes notice of the vacancy, the remaining members of council choose the replacement by majority vote, at least 10 days but not more than 30 days after publication. If council fails to fill the vacancy within 30 days, the mayor shall appoint someone in the following week.
The new council member is appointed for the remainder of the unexpired term, which in Grimm’s case is through 2027.
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