Dennis Allen Flatten

Dennis A. Flatten, age 73, Clark, died peacefully with family surrounding him on Thursday, July 2, 2020, after a brief illness of cancer.

D ue to the COVID 19 pandemic and being that the funeral is outside, in lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated.

Public visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, at Furness Funeral Home Chapel in Clark from 3PM to 6PM with strict CDC social distancing measures in place. Masks or face coverings are highly recommended in the building . Dennis's family will gather outside the funeral home during visitation. Please keep distance when paying your respects. Private funeral services will be held Thursday, July 9, 2020, at Crocker, at 4PM on the site of the former Flatten Store and Crocker Post Office with Minister Marion Grimes and Reverend Mindy Ehrke officiating. Burial will follow in St Thomas Cemetery at Crocker. Casketbearers will be Ray & Bill Reidburn, Larry Dreher, Mark McHenry, Jim Peckham, Allen Grewe, and Larry Sutton. Services will be private for immediate family including Dennis's and Pat's brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews. Folks are asked to dress more casually or in sports attire. Please bring your own chairs as they will not be provided. Out of respect for Denny, please, no Packers, USD, or NDSU attire will be allowed. Following the interment, you are welcome to return to the Flatten Store site for a Celebration of Denny's Life. The family will provide food, please bring your own refreshments.

He was born Dennis Allen Flatten on February 19, 1947, in the Bartron Hospital at Watertown.  He was the son of Floyd O. and Vanetta C. (DesLauriers) Flatten. Denny, as he became known, attended school at Crocker from grades K-6 and then Bradley 7-12.  He then attended Huron College.

While in college, he played basketball for a year and then baseball for three years.  He had the opportunity to play for the Chicago White Sox but decided to turn it down so he could pursue his dream of family and farming.

In 1971 he was united in marriage to Patricia Ann Stern in St. Anthony Church at Bristol.

To this union four children were born; Michelle, Les, Dixie, and Dustin.  They lived in the Crocker area for 22 years before moving to Clark in 1992.  Clark has continued to be their home.  Over the years Denny farmed, worked for the SD-DOT, Graceland Gardens, owned and operated the Flatten Store at Crocker, and then at the Clark County Farmers Elevator for 27 years.

In his younger years he enjoyed basketball, baseball, hunting, trapping, and fishing.  Over the past few years, Denny enjoyed reading western books, completing crossword puzzles, camping, and fishing.  He watched various sporting events on the television, especially the Minnesota Vikings and Twins, and the SDSU Jackrabbits. He was a huge supporter of his grandchildren in all of their sporting activities, no matter what team they competed with.  His love of family was what he enjoyed most in life -the time spent with them.  Denny appreciated the time with friends, sharing a cold beer, will not be forgotten.  Denny loved to grill and will long be remembered for his famous chili.

Over the years, Denny was a lover of all dogs, having many, but one special one in particular was his best friend and bed mate, Remy.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Floyd and Vanetta, a brother in infancy, David, his step-mother, Martha, father and mother-in-law, Ralph and Pearl Stern, brother-in-law, Jim Bjerke, brother and sister-in-law, Gordon and Marcella Gross, and nephews, Jim Stern and Michael Manson.

Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife of 49 years, Pat of Clark, children, Michelle Flatten-Kabwe, Les Flatten all of Clark, Dixie (Jacob) Smith of Hazel, and Dustin (Jenny) Flatten of Watertown, 9 grandchildren, Kayla, Skyler, Charity , Jediah, Noah, Musonda, Max, Ella, and Wilkes.  He also leaves siblings, Sharon Bjerke of Clark, Lanny (Donna) Flatten of Crocker, and Rick (Patsy) Flatten of Wallace, his step-father, John Solheim of Redfield, and in laws, Ordean (Sue) Stern, Bud (Marilyn) Stern, and Gloria (Allen) Grewe along with several nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com