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Dennis J. Ness • 1943 - 2004 Dennis J. Ness, 61, 207 Farmington Ave. Bowbells, ND, died January 1, 2005, after a short 10 week battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family at his home in Bowbells, ND. Dennis James Ness was born on June 24, 1943, in Noonan, ND, the son of Hanford and Alice (Hagen) Ness. There he attended school and was active in sports and musical activities. After graduation from Bowbells High School, Dennis moved west to Seattle, Washington, where he started working for Boeing Aircraft Company. In 1962, he went to work for the Geological Survey in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. He later changed jobs and started working for the Forest Service in 1967. He married his first wife, Reinita Cordingley of Idaho Falls, Idaho, in 1963, and they had two sons, Trevor and Travis. After transferring through numerous locations in Oregon, Washington and Montana, the family settled down in Eureka, Montana where Dennis continued working for the Forest Service until he retired in 1998. At that time he received honors including recognition of 30 years of accident and injury free service. In 1998, Dennis and his longtime companion and future wife, Thelma L. Shay moved from Eureka to Bowbells, to be closer to his family. On November 2nd of 2004, Dennis and Thelma were married at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Bowbells, after living together for 18 years. He loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Dennis was an avid belt buckle and coin collector. He was interested in obtaining older model Ford trucks, he enjoyed fire arms shooting and reloading, helping with the family farm in Bowbells, and he had a deep love of the woods and mountains in western Montana. He could always be found enjoying his free time with his family and friends at reunions, or shopping, or at holiday gatherings and vacationing. Dennis and Thelma shared an equal enthusiasm for entering race walks, attending rodeos, browsing though fairs and flea markets, taking long drives, and especially working together. Dennis is survived by his wife, Thelma, Bowbells; sons, Trevor Ness, Rochester, NY, and Travis Ness, Puyallup, WA; step-daughters, Monica (David) LeSoine, Florence, MT, and Danita (Tom) Fitzpatrick, Kalispell, MT; grandsons, Jesse and Jacob Ness, Rochester, NY, Kevin Fitzpatrick, U.S. Navy, Bethesda, MD, and Cahill and Rees LeSoine, Florence, MT, his father, Hanford Ness and his brother Wayne Ness both of Bowbells, his special brother-in-law and nephew, Ed and Shane Lockwood, Fargo, ND, who all offered a mountain of support to Dennis and his family during Dennis's ordeal. Dennis was preceded in death by his mother, Alice, who died of cancer in 2004, his sister, Linda who also died of cancer in 2004, grandparents, Jens and Minnie Ness, and Emil and Martha Hagen, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins. Funeral Service: Tuesday, January 4, 2005, at 11:30 a.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Bowbells. Visitation: Tuesday, January 4, 2005, from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the church. Internment: At his request, Dennis will be cremated. Part of him will rest beside his mother and sister in the Bowbells Cemetery and part of him will be scattered over the Kootenai National Forest in Eureka, MT, where he worked, hunted, fished, cut wood, camped, hiked, and retired from. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to either the Bowbells Ambulance Service, Bowbells Cemetery fund or the American Cancer Society. Officiant :Rev. Mary Strom Music: Congregational Hymns, Honorary Bearers: Trevor Ness, Travis Ness, Hanford
Ness, Wayne Ness, Ed Lockwood Shane Lockwood
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