Dan was born in Wausau, Wisconsin on March 9, 1974.  He was the fourth child and the baby of his family.  He died on March 19,1994 just south of Plainfield, Wisconsin as a result of an auto accident.  He was a sophomore at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin and was enrolled in the Peace and Conflict Resolution curriculum.

He and three fellow Northland College students were returning to school after attending a Friday night Grateful Dead concert in Rosemont, Illinois.  The accident happened at about 8:00 AM on that Saturday morning.  The driver of the car was Dan's roommate.  According to a highway witness, the driver must have fallen asleep and went off the road and hit an embankment by an overhead bridge.  All four students died.

Dan had written a rather prophetic letter to his parents prior to that day in which he described his plans to go to the concert.  Therein he had written, "one should see the Grateful Dead at least once in a lifetime." And so it was. 

Above all else, his parents remember from early childhood on, Dan was a caring, helpful and loving son.  Throughout his life, he demonstrated a truly extraordinary dedication to his whole family in countless ways.  Generous, loving, caring, and friend are single words that best describe Dan's relationship to his family. 

While at East High, Dan became interested in environmental and conservation issues.  He served two summers in the Student Conservation Association.   One summer was spent repairing hiking trails in the mountains on the east border of Yellowstone National Park.  The next summer, he worked in the mountains on trails in Yosemite National Park.  After working for the SCA for two summers, he had planned to train for a crew leader position with the SCA.  

Although it has been years since Dan died, There is not a day that passes that Dan's parents, Floyd and Arlaine Hallberg, don't think of their beloved son.  The passage of time helps heal the hurt and thankfully, they now think mostly of a lifetime of good times with Dan.  They along with all of Dan's family and friends will miss him always.