Dennis John Jenni

Dennis John Jenni, 85, of Crookston, Minnesota, passed away in his sleep in Fargo, North Dakota, while under the care of Hospice on April 10, 2026.

Anyone who knew Dennis knew that he was a man full of stories who had lived a long, full life of love and laughter. He loved to share his experiences from his years in the Navy, driving truck cross country, and also as a small business owner.

He was born in Crookston, Minnesota, in 1940 to Josephine Senske and Dwight Jenni, who cared for him very deeply and taught him many of the beloved family recipes that he would make for his children and grandchildren. Dennis was surrounded by family even in youth, being the oldest of eight children. He worked many years driving trucks for companies such as Pillsbury, Coca-Cola, and Totino’s after having served in the Navy. Even in his later years, he maintained his love for being on the road with annual summer road trips with his children and grandchildren.

Dennis met the love of his life, Dorothy Smith, in around 1957 at Detroit Lakes while he was home on leave from the Navy. She lived next door to his parents and after he met her, he would wake up every morning to watch her walk to work at her job as a nurse at the hospital from his upstairs bedroom window.

Excited to start their new lives together, the two were married June 27, 1961. One of his favorite stories was when his first son, Paul, was born. He had Dorothy drive home from the hospital because he felt like he was stronger and could keep Paul the safest if he held him on the way home from the hospital.

Dennis and Dorothy couldn’t wait to start a family of their own and their children meant the world to them. They are survived by their three sons, Paul, Joseph, and Mark Jenni. As well as three of their grandchildren, whom they adopted in 1992, Amanda Chambers, Jerilyn Wilber, and Jeffrey Salinas-Jenni. They cherished their family dearly and spent a lot of time together fishing on several of the 10,000 lakes within the great state of Minnesota. The family grew over the years to include a total of seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Though he loved cooking, fishing, and traveling, Dennis’s favorite role was that of a grandfather and great-grandfather. He treasured his time with his grandkids and loved being their Papa, never failing to share a treat with them or make them laugh.

Dennis had a soft spot for his furry friends, treating each and every one like the valuable family member they were. As with the rest of his family, you could often catch him sharing some of his treats with the dogs.

Dennis spent his final years at Saint Catherine’s North in Fargo, North Dakota, under the dutiful care of their loving team on the fourth floor. He never had a bad thing to say about any of the staff there and was always excited to go back there to his friends.

Dennis will always be remembered for his sense of humor and the way that you would know if he didn’t like you if he wasn’t picking on you for something. We’ll always imagine hearing him say, “Well, you could have bought a new one for that much money,” “It takes a big dog to weigh a ton,” and “It’s hard to soar like an eagle, when you live with turkeys,” “If I could travel the world for a nickel, I would only have enough to go out to the street corner and holler Ain’t that cheap,” or when you say you missed him, he would quip back “Yeah, like a bad itch,” one more time. We couldn’t have asked for a better father, grandfather, and brother, and we will miss Dennis every day. His memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him.

Dennis was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy, and siblings Michael Jenni and Carolyn Feldt, and is survived by his siblings, Paulette Carlson, Julie Chutich, Geri Fulton, Richard Jenni, and Roger Jenni; his children, Paul Jenni, Joseph Jenni, Mark Jenni, Amanda Chambers, Jerilyn Wilbur, and Jeffrey Salinas-Jenni; his grandchildren, Jarrett Jenni, Lauren Gallegos, Sara Jenni, and Charlie Jenni; his great-grandchildren, Simon Wilber, Alexandra Chambers, and William Gallegos.

Dennis’s family is currently planning for celebrations of life. There will likely be one in the Fargo-Moorhead area and an additional one in the St. Paul, Minnesota area. If you wish to attend either of the celebrations, please send an email to rememberingdennisjenni@gmail.com.

Donations to the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network in Dennis’s name would be greatly appreciated by visiting their website at https://bcan.org/?form=evergreen-donate