Lawrence Theodore "Ted" Dahl Jr.

Lawrence Theodore "Ted" Dahl Jr., 93, of Corvallis, Montana, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2026, in Hamilton, Montana. His family and Church were the two greatest joys of his life. 

Ted was born July 4, 1933, in Murray, Utah, the oldest child of Lawrence T. Dahl and Lois Gardner Dahl. He was raised in West Jordan, working alongside his father on the family farm. 

Ted attended West Jordan High School, where he was active in the Future Farmers of America, and went on to study at Utah State University. In a day when the number of young men to be called on missions was limited, Ted received his call to the Argentine Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - something he considered a privilege for the rest of his life. Argentina shaped the whole course of his life. It was in Argentina, as a missionary, that he met and felt a special attraction to Eileen McCann, an Argentine missionary. After returning to the United States, he wrote to Eileen and invited her to come join him in the US. They were married on December 30, 1957, in the Salt Lake Temple. Ted completed his studies at Utah State University in 1958. 

Following his three-year service in Korea for the United States Army as a helicopter mechanic, Ted and Eileen moved to Peoria, Illinois, where he began his career with Caterpillar, traveling worldwide providing support for Caterpillar products. He sought out the opportunity because it provided a way back to Argentina. In 1965, the family moved to Beccar, near Buenos Aires, Argentina, for four years before returning to Peoria. In 1973, he was recruited by Steiger, an up-and-coming tractor company, to lead their South American support program, so the family moved to Fargo, North Dakota.

Ted's service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spanned his entire life. In 1980, he and Eileen were called to serve as mission leaders of the Buenos Aires South Mission in Argentina for three years, returning to the country he had first come to love as a young missionary and which included Eileen’s childhood home and family. 

At the conclusion of their missionary service, they returned to North Dakota, where Ted continued with Steiger until 1987 before rejoining Caterpillar in Peoria from 1988 until his retirement in 1998. He cherished the relationships that he fostered with so many people across the world through his work, travel, and his service in the Church. 

In retirement, Ted and Eileen accepted a call to return once more to Argentina, serving as senior missionaries for eighteen months in the Argentina, Neuquén Mission. 

In 2000, they moved to Corvallis, Montana, where they built a new home and spent very happy years in retirement among wonderful neighbors and fellow church friends. Their garden yielded bountifully - the fruit of a farm boy’s work ethic he never lost. 

Looking to return to Argentina with great anticipation again in 2005 to serve as temple service missionaries, Ted and Eileen were instead called to serve as temple president and matron of the Bogotá, Colombia Temple. They gave three more years of full-time service and formed more lifelong friendships with those they served alongside. 

Ted was a hard-working, faithful disciple of Jesus Christ and would trust anyone with a handshake and a smile. He loved to serve God and his fellow man. 

The family wishes to thank all those who served Ted in his time of need. 

Ted is survived by his wife, Eileen Dahl; his children, Kenn Theodore Dahl (Janet) of Woodinville, Washington; Angeleen Barrus (Robert) of Midland, Georgia; Teresa Dahl of Lehi, Utah; and Alexander Hugh Dahl (Deborah) of Flower Mound, Texas; eleven grandchildren, Logan Dahl, Nolan Dahl, Paulette Barrus, Marina Greaves (Caleb), Grant Barrus, Tanner Peugnet (Karissa), Travis Peugnet (Lexie), Megan Dahl, McCann Dahl (Kathy), Amanda Dahl, and Spencer Dahl; ten great-grandchildren; his sister, Marian Doman (Larry); and his brother, Dennis Dahl (Elizabeth). He was preceded in death by his son, Harvey Gerald Dahl, in 1971; by his parents, Lawrence Theodore Dahl and Lois Gardner Dahl; and his siblings James Gardner Dahl (Patricia), Patricia Miller (Ed), Richard Pehrson Dahl, and David Keith Dahl (Marlene). 

A visitation will be held Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 957 Eastside Highway, Corvallis, Montana, with funeral services following at 11:30 a.m. Interment will follow at the Corvallis Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Missionary Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.