Dennis Jones

Dennis Lee Jones knew two things from the time he was old enough to hold a wrench and walk a fence line on the family farm in Milbank, South Dakota: how to work hard, and how to make people laugh. He carried both of those gifts with him every single day of his 79 years, and the world is a little quieter, and a lot less funny, without him in it.

Born on August 7, 1946, to Floyd and Martha (Giese) Jones, Dennis grew up with South Dakota dirt under his boots and a grin that could talk his way out of, or into, just about anything. After graduating from Milbank High School in 1964, he did what proud young men of his generation did: he signed up to serve. Dennis headed straight into the Army, defending a country he loved without hesitation.

But there was one mission the Army hadn't prepared him for,winning over Theresa Giessinger. Legend has it he chased that woman to Minneapolis and back before she finally said yes. Smart woman to make him work for it. Smart man to never give up. They married on July 27, 1968, and this past July they celebrated 57 years together, proof that persistence pays off. Their family grew with the arrival of son Todd in December and daughter Tanya in 1973, and for a time Dennis balanced farm life with work at the Milbank Quarry, doing what he always did: showing up and getting it done.

In 1978, Dennis and Theresa packed up the family and headed to Sioux Falls, SD, where Dennis would go on to build a working life that most men couldn't keep up with. Bedford Plastics, Campbell Supply, Terry Schulte Chevrolet, Vern Eide, the man was no stranger to rolling up his sleeves. And all the while, quietly and proudly, he continued serving his country through the Air National Guard, eventually retiring after 23 years of combined military service. You don't do that without grit, loyalty, and a deep love for something bigger than yourself.

Now, if you really want to know Dennis, you have to talk about the cars.

That bronze 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass wasn't just a car. It was a statement. Dennis had a gift for turning heads, and every vehicle he ever owned got the full treatment, customized, polished, and primped until it gleamed like it was born for the show circuit. And show he did. There wasn't a car show around that Dennis didn't enter, and there weren't many trophies he didn't take home. He earned every one of them.

On Sundays, you'd find him firmly planted in front of the TV, fully committed to Dale Earnhardt and NASCAR the way some men commit to religion. For Dennis, it wasn't far off.

And then there was the joking. Oh, the joking. Dennis had a talent for the perfectly timed tease, the one-liner that came out of nowhere, the laugh he could coax out of you even when you didn't see it coming. He loved making people smile, and he was very, very good at it.

He passed away on May 29, 2026, after a courageous battle with Parkinson's disease and related health complications, but he faced it the same way he faced everything else: with stubbornness, humor, and the people he loved nearby.

Dennis will be honored with a military funeral on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 11AM at the South Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Sioux Falls, SD.

Dennis is preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Martha Jones; his beloved daughter, Tanya; and a host of cherished relatives.

He is survived by his wife and greatest adventure, Theresa; his son Todd and daughter-in-law Taunya; his son-in-law Scott; his grandchildren Ashlee (JD) Morris, Robert DuBois, Parker Jones, Nickolas (Silvana) Rodriguez-Jones, Destiny Jones, and Aleyna Jones, and his great-grandchildren Reece and Jayla Jones and Amira Morris, along with a wide circle of relatives and friends who were lucky enough to know him.

Park the Cutlass in a good spot, Dennis. You've earned it.