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family website for
the next generations
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CHILDHOOD,
SCHOOL, ARMY,
MEETING AND MARRYING
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Donald Dennis growing up in Fowler,
Colorado |
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Marlene and
Ann Miller
in Dupree, SD |
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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.
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(click
pics to enlarge)
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Don |
Don, Aunt Barb |
Don |
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Ann, Karen, Marlene
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Ann and Mother |
Ann & Marlene |
Spanish
Peaks
Don was #107 in the
canister at the top
of the
13,700 ft.
West Peak in 1958.
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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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During his junior and senior years of high school,
Don was projectionist at the Valley Theater in Fowler.
Your social life revolved around your school, your church groups and
your job. Don's
CHURCH and work locations are pictured above.
Late in his senior
year he worked building river jetties. As that job was
winding down, a Fowler friend
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.
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
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 a date
came to Ann's 18th birthday party
to visit his
Fowler friend, Chuck Hogue.
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They double-dated, each with
others, 2-3 times, then....
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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February 15, 1959
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.
Click to read the "Ultimate Love Letter"
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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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ENGAGED
OCTOBER 31, 1960 |
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.
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Wedding Shower...Roommate
Joan Rauscher, left...Ann, right.
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 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!
The pastor had
given them a long candle, with instructions to light it yearly on their
anniversary, but it was totally forgotten. Several days later Don was going
back to
work, stood at the back of the car talking to friends from Fowler who'd
brought over a wedding present and noticed something strange in the back window.
He came back into the apartment with a big grin carrying the wedding
gift and a
string. The sun through the back
window had melted the
candle and all that survived was the wick.
(Bob Morgan passed away at 81,
on Sept 27, 2006 in Cheyenne, WY).
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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 set to premiere in
Fairbanks on Friday 6/19/09
It’s been years in the making, but on
Friday 6/19,
Touching The Game, Alaska will
premiere in Fairbanks, AK as part of the
Midnight Sun weekend festivities. This
years Midnight Sun Game is on Sunday
6/21, but the city of Fairbanks will
celebrate the Summer Solstice all
weekend long kicking off with the
long-awaited documentary on the Alaska
Baseball League. The film will play at
the Pioneer Park theater at 7:00pm. The
Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks, the
team that started it all, are selling
ticket packages to the film on Friday,
their 50 year celebration dinner on
Saturday, and the Midnight Sun Game on
Sunday. Go to www.goldpanners.com for
more details.
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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 to
someone instead of seeking a blessing for yourself!
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