Cheerful Excellence

Known for her willingness and cheerful excellence in whatever job she undertakes, Eileen Dahl constantly finds ways to serve her family, church, and community. She is the kind of visiting teacher who, with her companion, will clean the home of the sister they visit when they hear she is ill, the kind of alert member who will tend the child of a mother who needs help to do her Church calling on Sunday. She also works tirelessly as a nurse and serves as a Red Cross volunteer.

Eileen joined the Church in Argentina when she was twenty, served a local mission, then became a nurse. With her English heritage, and having lived in the British section of her community in Argentina, Eileen spoke both Spanish and fluent English. And though she had not planned to leave Argentina, she was drawn to Salt Lake City following her mission.

It was there that Eileen married Lawrence T. “Ted” Dahl. Ted had also served a mission in Argentina, but Eileen had not known him well. “Ted’s appreciation for Latin America and my own upbringing gave us much in common from the beginning,” says Sister Dahl. Three of the Dahls’ children accompanied them when Ted was called to serve as a mission president in Argentina.

Since returning from Argentina, Eileen has scheduled her time so she can be ready to serve whenever she is needed. She does all her food preparation one day a month, freezing many ready-for-the-oven casseroles, sauces, and desserts, in order to have free time for other responsibilities. This way, too, Sister Dahl has a meal ready in a moment for company or for a family in need.

Ted is currently president of the Peoria Illinois Stake, and Eileen is ward Laurel adviser. Moreover, they now have three grandchildren. Yet even with so many responsibilities, the Dahls still find pleasure in working together and sharing the vegetables from their garden and bread from their wheat grinder with others.—Janet Kruckenberg, Fargo, North Dakota

Eileen Dahl—A global view of compassion enables her to serve anyone anytime. (Photo by Janet Kruckenberg.)