Dennis Ardell Nottestad was born the second of 2 children to Albert and Mary Nottestad of Maddock, ND. Early on in life, Dennis was inclined towards instigating mischievous
activities for which his older sister, Alice, would be the one reprimanded by their parents. She was the older child and thus expected to be ‘more’ responsible. By the time Dennis reached high school, WWII had engulfed the world and eventually Dennis left his education behind and joined the US Army in the war effort. He served stateside as an armored tank instructor at Fort Knox, Kentucky, returning home in 1946 to enroll in Benson County Agricultural and Training School, where he completed his High School education. It was his senior year, during which Helen May, a fellow student, caught his attention. They became fast friends and were married on September 7, 1947. From that ceremony forward they were always together. Both “hard workers”, they developed a talent for getting the job done.
Originally working in the construction field with his father, uncle Edwin, and cousin Rohlin, Dennis later accepted a more permanent position with the Red Owl grocery in Maddock. He forfeited his employment in the fall of 1955 to purchase his own grocery store in Fertile MN. This was not to be a rewarding venture and Dennis was offered a chance to return to work for the Red Owl in Maddock in 1957. He worked there until the owner’s retirement in 1963, at which time he was able to purchase the business. Prior to his own retirement, he was selected by his peers in the grocery industry to serve on the Board of the ND Grocer’s Association. There he was a voice for the small, independent grocers in the state of ND. Dennis-together with Helen by his side-operated Maddock Red Owl and later Super Value until their retirement in 1991.
Always with an eye on spending their “golden years” wintering in Arizona, they finally achieved this goal when they moved to the Sun Cities area in the fall of 1997. Unfortunately, Helen was overtaken by early-onset dementia within the first year of their retirement. Dennis, then, assumed the most demanding role of his lifetime; that of primary caregiver for his own life partner. He learned to cook, do laundry, and clean like a pro, taking care of Helen in their own home for 11 very long years.
Absolutely happy to be alive and experience new things, Dennis was a full participant in the journey of life. Along the way he enjoyed many travels; some overseas and others throughout the American West. His first love became working outdoors either gardening or re-working the landscaping. When not out, he was in, experimenting with newly found recipes in his kitchen.
Upon Helen’s relocation to the Fairmeadow Nursing Home in Fertile, MN, Dennis made the decision to adopt Crookston as his newfound home and re-build his now solitary life in the community. He constructed a new home, completed in 2006, and then made his final move, that from AZ back to Crookston, MN.
Dennis passed away unexpectedly on January 5, 2024, at the Del Webb Medical Center in Sun City West, AZ with family by his side. He leaves behind a legacy of hard work coupled with a simple lifestyle. He is survived by his 4 children; Lynn, Surprise AZ,
Gary, Watford City, ND, Susan, Pearland Texas, and Nancy, Crookston, MN. He leaves behind 6 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Dennis will be both missed and fondly remembered by all fortunate to know him.
The funeral service honoring Dennis’s life will be on Friday, May 17, 2024, at Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home, Crookston, at 11:00 AM. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at Oakdale Cemetery following the services.
