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CHILDHOOD,
SCHOOL, ARMY,
MEETING AND MARRYING
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family website for
the next generations
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Donald Dennis growing up in Fowler,
Colorado |
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Marlene and
Ann Miller
Dupree, SD
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Left: Don and his parents, Florence
and Leo Dennis, in Syracuse, NY,
where his father spent WWII as a
chemist with the US Department
of Public Health.
They lived in the Queens section
of NY City for two years and
then moved upstate to Syracuse,
living there for three years.
Don began school in Syracuse.
The family moved to Fowler, CO
when he was in the second grade,
1946.
Right: Gen, Ann and
Marlene. Ann's family
lived at Dupree, SD until
her 4th grade, when they
moved to Spearfish, SD for 3
years and then settled in
Sturgis, SD until the
present.
The farm at
Dupree is still
in the family.
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(click
pics to enlarge)
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Don |
Don, Aunt Barb |
Don |
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Ann, Marlene and Karen
An
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Ann 1956 |
Ann
and Mother |
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1957 - Don and parents,
Leo and
Florence Dennis
(click to enlarge)
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Gen and Casey Miller,
Ann's Parents |
1955 Karen, Marlene, Ann
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Your social life revolved around your school,
your church groups and
your job. Don's
CHURCH
and work locations are pictured above.
During his junior and senior years of high
school, Don was projectionist at the Valley Theater in Fowler.
Late in his senior year he worked building river jetties. As
that job was winding down, Milford Switser
stopped him on the street and asked him to round up a crew of guys to
go to Pueblo and work during a strike at Wonder Bread. Darrell Fedde distinguished himself by unloading a
full railroad car of 100# bags of
flour in half a day, with no help. It had taken a day and a half
for two union guys to do the same. Don was put on the
packaging machine, catching the bread as it came down the belt and
passing it over to rolling shelves. After the
first day of doing this for 8 hours, he woke up that night passing his
pillows across the bed.
Click to enlarge... payslips from Kellner Jetties Co and
Continental Baking Company.
Managing the Spur Theater in
LaVeta, CO
was his
summer job in 1958. In the summer of 1959 he went back to LaVeta and worked for Charlie Masinton in his stores. Ah, LaVeta!
Those stories will have to wait for the book.
Click to see full crowd picture
Courtesy LaVeta Historic Preservation Committee
and Kathy Kiernen Martin |
Charlies in La Veta
Dennis Photo
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Don (left) in Army
after high school.
Bob Vaughn & Darrell Fedde
click for:
ARMY SERVICE
1957-1965
Spanish
Peaks
Don was #107 in the
canister at the top
of the
13,700 ft.
West Peak in 1958.
Growing up in Sturgis, Ann worked at the Dakota Theater; during summers a car hop at A&W
Drive-In, winters a soda jerk at Carl's Confectionery; worked for the weekly
Sturgis
newspaper. Summer of 1957 worked at Palmer Gulch resort.
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(click
on each, for pages behind blue links below)
They met in
Denver
on December 6, 1958, when Don and
friends came
to Ann's 18th birthday party
to visit his
Fowler friend, Chuck Hogue.
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First, a year and a half of being
great close friends, weekend visits packed with activity, lots of
letters back and forth (Pueblo is 120 miles south of Denver) and
having such fun with a large group of friends.
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Pauline Hoffman, Don Dennis, Chuck
Hogue
on February 14, 1959, when
Ann met Don's family
and was a weekend guest at their home in Fowler, CO. |
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Don's mother, Florence,
Don and Ann
Se1960 Don
in Sturgis, SD to
meet Ann's family.
Standing:
mom Gen, sister Karen.
Seated: dad Walter (Casey) Miller and Don.
1960
Four Aces' "Melody of Love"; Ella's "Embraceable You".
Donald's Drive-In, E. Colfax, 24c tacos & 49c french dips!
The Tamale Man on the
corner in downtown Denver.
Hiking in the Rockies...exploring back
roads.
Listening to beautiful music.
Movies.
Always laughing!
Love can Transform
The most
commonplace
Into beauty and splendor
and sweetness and grace. |
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ENGAGED
OCTOBER 31, 1960
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Don proposed and gave
Ann a lovely ring. They were due at the
home of some friends, within walking
distance, for a Halloween Party. It had
been raining, Denver's streets and walks were a little icy, and not
wanting the lady to get muddy, he gallantly
picked her up, started walking .....
lost his footing and promptly deposited his
new fiance in a pile of slushy mud. Ever
good natured, Ann laughed and they decided
to go to the party long enough to show off a
muddy ring. |
January 13, 1961
Wedding Shower...Roommate
Joan, left...Ann, right.
Then the forever part!
Several months of excluding all others, heart to heart forever;
They were
married a little more than two years after they met.
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Pauline Hogue, Ann and Don Dennis, Chuck Hogue
see:
Married
January 1961
Paul Weiland
Laurie Bandel
L
Chuck and Pauline Hogue, Paul Weiland, Laurie
Bandel, and Don and Ann drove to Brush,
CO for the wedding.
Pastor Bob Morgan of the Brush
Methodist Church married them. He had been a school principal
in Fowler, CO when Don was growing up, and was a friend.
After the wedding, all enjoyed a wedding dinner, and then headed home. Paul
(a good friend from both high school and college days) rode with the newlyweds the 170
miles back to Pueblo. However the electrical system failed
on Don's car and in the middle of a dark, COLD January night, they
drove slowly and carefully, with no lights and no heater!
(Bob Morgan passed away at 81,
on Sept 27, 2006 in Cheyenne, WY). |
Left, Ann's mom,
Gen Miller, Don and Don's mom,
Florence Dennis, visiting their first apartment. 2/61
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Don and Ann's first few dates were
at D C Truckers basketball games in Denver.
Forty-eight (48)
years later, August 2007, in the mail, totally
unexpected, came a book on the National Industrial
Basketball League, written by Robin Buchan and Bruce
Kitts; "LONGSHOT, the Story of the Buchan Bakers" one of
the teams in the League. Talk about bringing back
memories! Bruce Kitts had worked in
Fairbanks in the early 70's, remembered Don was from
Colorado and figured he was familiar with the League.
Little did he know! To the right is a program Don
saved from March 7, 1959, one of
those early games.
Take a look at
www.buchanbakers.com.
1958-1959 D-C
Truckers, Denver |
(enlarge) |
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After Marriage....A good life begins......
College, Children, Career...
click for:
PUEBLO |
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Pictures from Sports
Illustrated - Midnight Sun Game 2007
The Alaska Goldpanners above, team Don has managed
since 1967.
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click below for:
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Fox TV - Goldpanners, Don, Midnight Sun Game
2008
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Don and the Goldpanners
Magazine article on the Goldpanners
Touching The Game, Alaska premiered in
Fairbanks on Friday 6/19/09
It was years in the making. On
Friday 6/19/09,
Touching The Game, Alaska
premiered in Fairbanks, AK as part of the
Midnight Sun weekend festivities. The city of Fairbanks
celebrated the Summer Solstice all
weekend long kicking off with the
long-awaited documentary on the Alaska
Baseball League.
2009
The 2-Disc Touching
the Game, Alaska DVD was released on 11/30/09.
At a price of $19.95, the DVD
features the full-length director’s cut
of the film as well as plenty of extra
features and unseen footage. To
order, click here.
http://touchingthegame.com/
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technical: Todd Dennis
"a most patient teacher"
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(put website in subject) |
Everyday, try to give a blessing instead of seeking a blessing!
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