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| As I seat here on this wet miserable day it is hard to believe Dennis
will not be phoning, a common happening on such a day.
Dennis was a life-long friend growing up on a farm 3 miles due
west of our family farm. Although we attended different public
schools, we grow up together throughout 4-H, high school and university.
After that we when our separate way until we both returned to
the family farms. I starting a hog operation and Dennis increasing
the land base. Dennis had little interest in being what many
call the BTO, but wanted to get the very maximum out of his our land
base. With that in mind he did a lot of work in regard to seed
placement, seed distribution and seed damage from air seeder, along
with his variable nutrient work.
Dennis's interest in electronics started at an early age, fixing radios
for neighbors while still in public school. This life long interest
lead to selling commercial farm VHF systems and also computers. My first
to last VHF radio equipment came from his radio business. My first real
computer, as he call it, came from his computer sales. Before that I was
using a home built CPM system for farm records.
Dennis's interest in electronics also lead to a amateur radio license
with the call VE5DM. When he returned to farming from the big city, he
pushed for and built the first two meter repeater in the Melfort area.
Finding a deal on about 5 two meter radios the local amateurs had
their eyes opened to other that the normal HF bands. Later he push the
idea that a repeater should be a good commercial unit not just some
old surplus equipment. This unit is still running today some 25 years
later.
I have a common interest in electronics and over the many cups of
coffee new and interesting items have been discovered. one of the
latest was a few years ago. One day Dennis phone saying he had
discovered this very interesting remote controller. Said he was
ordering a couple and I needed one. Wasn't sure why at that time, but
today it is controlling my grain handling system. Should see the
look on the trucker face when he waves his hand and everything stops,
when I am 20 feet from any possible switch.
The last cup of coffee was about two weeks ago when he stops late
one evening. We discussed the weather , record September rain in
three days, along with his variable rate work. To date he hasn't
convinced me of the cost benefit ratio of variable rating on my land,
but he could be still working from above.
Dennis was a tireless worker for other causes. His work on the
health benefits of flax is having effects on flax studies and
flax use today.
As Dennis was about 2.5years younger that myself, it makes one
think about the shortness of life. how you can be working in good
health one minute and gone the next.
To Anne, his wife, and Shelly, his daughter, we will all remember
Dennis and his work.
Gerald
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Sad Passing
