On February 27, 2026, our Heavenly Father led Dennis Hugh Ford to his final home.

Dennis was born to Charles and Marian (Mandeville) Ford on January 10, 1937, in Storm Lake, Iowa. His maternal grandparents were Martin and Margaret (Edson) Mandeville of Storm Lake, Iowa. His paternal grandparents were Hugh Harris and Martha (Crowley) Ford of Storm Lake, Iowa.

During his school years, Dennis worked hard on the family farm and helped neighboring farmers when needed. He was an avid young bird hunter, a star athlete, and a quick learner when it came to livestock, especially cattle.

Dennis graduated from Alta, Iowa High School in 1955, holding many school records in basketball and in track and field along with his brother Chuck. Together they were known as “The Flying Fords.”

Dennis dated Ardis Hinkeledy of Hanover throughout his high school years. Dennis and Ardis were married on February 4, 1956.

On August 12, 1956, Dennis and Ardis were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Lynn Marie Ford.

On March 7, 1957, Dennis boarded a train from Storm Lake, Iowa to Omaha, Nebraska to be inducted into the U.S. Army. After basic training he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In August of 1957 he was assigned to Camp Desert Rock, Nevada, where he took part in Operation Plumbbob, with multiple 3A and regular nuclear bomb tests. Dennis later completed parachute training, performing tower jumps and aircraft jumps from the C-119 “Flying Boxcar.” He then attended U.S. Army Ranger Training at Fort Benning, Georgia as part of the 82nd Airborne Division. Of the 450 men who began Ranger Training, only 200 completed it successfully, and Dennis was one of them. This achievement advanced him to the rank of Sergeant (E5). In November of 1958 he traveled to Fort Greeley, Alaska for Cold Weather and Mountain School, where he and seven other men lived in a tent outdoors for fourteen days in extremely cold conditions. Dennis simply said, “We stayed comfortable.” He remained at Fort Bragg until his honorable discharge on March 9, 1959.

Dennis and Ardis were blessed with another daughter, Lori Jean Ford, on May 14, 1959.

Dennis worked at the Alta Elevator for several years before joining Kent Feeds, where he found an opportunity to grow in a field he truly loved—livestock. His career advanced quickly, and the family moved every few years with his promotions. The Dennis Ford family lived on a farm south of Alta, Iowa where Dennis trained a wild crow he named Jake to talk and track. Over the years the family moved to Armour, South Dakota, then to Renner and Parkston, South Dakota. In 1971 the family settled in Jackson, Minnesota. By that time Dennis was working as a livestock nutritionist territory manager covering the southern half of Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, northeast Nebraska, and southeast North Dakota.

After Dennis and Ardis’ divorce, Dennis left Kent Feeds and moved on to International Harvester as a sales executive.

Dennis later met Dorral Kramer in Magnolia, Minnesota, and their shared love of cattle quickly formed a strong connection. Through this relationship Dennis was blessed with stepchildren, Rocky Sannizzaro and Jacqueline Sannizzaro Fuentes. The family later moved to Lakefield, Minnesota, where they welcomed daughter Suzann (Shane) Ford Kluever in August of 1976. In 1978 they moved to Okabena, Minnesota, where Dennis and Dorral operated a cow-calf operation through Creekside Farm and Magnum D Exotics. Dennis later returned to the feed business, selling Nutri-Pro Feeds and managing a dairy operation. A true salesman at heart, he made many valued friendships along the way. Although Dennis and Dorral eventually parted ways, they remained friends and continued sharing cattle stories through the final days of his life.

Dennis’ careers allowed him to fully embrace one of his greatest passions—driving. His vehicle often doubled as his office as he traveled the countryside. Family vacations frequently meant taking county roads so Dennis could look at livestock in the fields and check on farmers’ crops. With the eyes of a hawk, Dennis could spot a cow with a problem in a distant herd. Before long the car would turn down a long lane and the hunt for the farmer would begin. The farmer was always found, sometimes requiring a drive into a corn or soybean field to locate him working on equipment. Farmers were always glad to talk with Dennis and appreciated the knowledge he freely shared.

A few years after his retirement, Dennis moved to the South Dakota State Veterans Home in Hot Springs, where residents and staff became his extended family. This remained his home until his death.

Dennis H. Ford loved to read and developed a deep knowledge of history through years of reading and research. We often joked he was born 150 years too late.

His mind was sharp until his final breath, something for which he—and those who loved him—were deeply grateful.

Dennis will be deeply missed by his family, daughters Lori Ford and Suzann Kluever, son-in-law Shane Kluever and grandchildren Luke (Sarah) Ford-Rawson, Gracie (Cody) Muilenburg, and Colton Kluever.  He is survived by his siblings David (Margaret) Ford, Bonnie (Don) Steffens, Mickey Oleson and Ann (Robert) Peterson.  He will also be missed by the many, many friends he made through out his days.

His stories and legacy will live on through his great-grandson, Hank, who proudly called him Grandfather.

Dennis is now reunited with many family members, including his first daughter, his parents, his grandparents, great-grandparents, and his brother Chuck. He is also reunited in death with many friends and animals he loved (including grand dogs that knew him as Grandpa and Ice Cream Man).

If you choose, Memorials may be directed to The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Please join us in celebrating the vibrant life of Dennis H. Ford on March 27 at Celebration United Methodist Church in Brandon, South Dakota at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow at South Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Sioux Falls.

A life well lived leaves stories that will continue to be told for generations, and Dennis gave us many worth sharing.