A Tribute to Dennis (DC) Lee Christianson (aka Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, Friend)
This is but a small portion of Dennis’ story, written with love and memories shared by many.
Dennis’ story began on Feb. 12, 1949, the firstborn child to Don and Leona Christianson; nephew of Art Donald; and older brother to Sandee Wilson and Linda King. His life came to a close Sept. 9, 2025, at the age of 76. He was loved dearly, is already missed and will always be cherished.
Born in Wray, Colorado, and raised on his family’s farm outside Cope, Colorado, Dennis attended Arickaree School, the same school his own children and nephews (whom he loved as if they were his own), would eventually attend. Rumor has it that Dennis might have sown a wild seed or two during his high school years, which may be what lead him to cruise Main Street in Yuma, Colorado, and meet his future bride, Kathleen (Kathy) Joan Pagel. Following his 1967 graduation, he attended Denver Auto Body School for two years before returning to work on the family farm where he continued to take pride in raising alfalfa, corn, and shortly thereafter, his daughters. Dennis utilized his auto body education to build a horse trailer that he painted two-tone green and put to good use over the years.
After his future father-in-law issued what family legend calls a ‘potential ultimatum’ to sell his 1969 gold Corvette pride and joy in exchange for a more family friendly Chevelle, Dennis and Kathy married in Yuma on Sept. 4, 1969, and recently celebrated their 56th anniversary. Following their wedding, they honeymooned in Manitou Springs and Garden of the Gods, and settled into a brown and yellow trailer just behind Dennis’ childhood home. They welcomed daughters, Lori Jean Hoffner on June 12, 1973, and Brooke Leigh Binder on Aug. 20, 1976, while remodeling their ranch-style home just down the driveway a bit. This is the home in which they raised their girls, many a beloved dog (Buffy, Linus, Candy, Sadie, Kokomo, to name a few) and hosted dinners for extended family and friends, with his girls, nephews and nieces running every which way to see Bambi the antelope push kids on the swing, swim in the pool, wade out into the pond and come in for a home-cooked meal surrounded by loved ones. And we can’t leave out the llamas – just ask anyone who visited them, and to this day, they’ll say they have an appreciation for the distance one should keep from a llama, in particular, Specks.
Sometimes during these gatherings, Dennis would treat the kids to a pickup ride – and yes, back in the day, that meant everyone crammed into the bed of the truck and bounced along merrily – with the radio blasting and raced down the airplane runway strip on the edge of their property. If you promise not to tell anyone, he may or may not have made it extra fun by turning off the lights and letting the moon and stars serve as his guide…just a time or two.
Dennis and Kathy lived on the farm for 33 years before selling it in 2002 and moving to the north end of Main Street in Yuma, where they ended up being next door neighbors to Kathy’s mom, Betty Pagel. Life in the city brought a few changes, including chasing away his mother-in-law’s wayward chickens, keeping an eye on who was driving by, and always making sure no one backed into his white picket fence along the edge of the driveway. It is in their Yuma home that grandchildren, Spencer Christian, born June 22, 2001, and Parker Cedric Dressel, born Dec. 28, 2006, and great nieces and nephews came to play, never knowing the llamas like their parents, but getting to ride bikes and scooters on the big driveway, admire Dennis’ model train set in the quonset, and potentially take a ride in his El Camino, Hummer or 1981 two-tone maroon Corvette that he purchased from longtime friend, Dale Dunning. This was especially fun when the kids turned 16 and got to be the ones behind the wheel.
Dennis enjoyed sitting on the porch of their home of 23 years with his family, dogs, Jack and Pete, and any company who stopped by to say hello. He cherished the visits from his grandsons and their many friends. Some of his favorite foods, many made by his wife and daughters, include chicken and noodles, steak, corn on the cob, ketchup with most anything, peach cobbler, bread pudding and late-night snack of graham crackers and milk. He was also fond of Mountain Dew and the Farmhouse and Dairy Queen drive-throughs.
If you knew Dennis, you know he loved going to the lake, initially Bonny Dam, where family and friends happily joined on Sundays with fried chicken, potato salad, homemade cookies, a potential silver bullet or two, and lots of fun on the boat. Dennis and Kathy eventually bought a mobile home at Lake McConaughy in Nebraska where they rented out storage units. They also added a pontoon that allowed them to leisurely cruise the lake and several golf carts in which they traveled around their North Shore neighborhood to visit their many dear and lifelong friends at Lake Mac. Are you ready for another little-known DC secret? He never did learn how to swim, though he clearly had no fear of the water. Dennis enjoyed taking annual trips to their timeshare in Cancun where many happy memories were made and also had fun attending NASCAR races with Arlie Dressel and his grandsons over the years.
Dennis was a loving husband, amazing father and proud grandfather (aka Papa). He loved his family with all his heart – almost as much as he loved his dogs. He was also ornery as heck and loved a good joke. He was fun, loved to laugh, and many will remember hearing him say: “Huh?” “Kathy, where’s the ketchup?” “You know the one, the blonde with the …..”
He is preceded in death by mother Leona Christianson; father Donald Christianson and wife Babs; Uncle Art Donald (whom he loved like a father); parents-in-law Leonard and Betty Pagel; brother-in-law Skip Wilson; niece Becci Riley; and many beloved pets. Loved ones who will miss him dearly include wife, Kathy; daughter Lori Hoffner, husband Gary, and grandsons Spencer and Parker Dressel (Yuma); daughter, Brooke Binder, husband Brian, and not to be left out, grand-dog Molly (Ault, CO); sisters Sandee Wilson and Linda King (Sterling, CO); sisters-in-law Sharri Wilson (Belle Fourche, SD) and Cindy Gardner and husband John (Yuma); brother-in-law Jim Pagel and wife Bernice (Yuma); and many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Dennis lived well and will be remembered by many. Someone said it best, the ornery ole coot went out doing what he liked best, taking a drive to see the crops and one of his grandsons. May he be greeted with a golf cart, a never-ending lake with plenty of pontoon rides, all the dogs he’s ever loved, and always know how much he’ll be missed. KIP493 base to KVE697 out.
The Memorial Service was held Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, 10:30 a.m., at the Yuma Cemetery, officiated by Pastor Dennis Fitzpatrick and directed by Baucke Funeral Home.