Denver Clinton "Dennie" Eaton
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 6 - April 22, 1999
Dennie Eaton gave the same answer whenever asked for help, whether the request involved a church construction project or organizing a fishing trip to Sylvan Lake. "You betcha."
Denver "Dennie" C. Eaton, 4, died April 15 at his home in Eagle. The memorial service crowd at the Eagle Methodist Church Tuesday morning was testimony to this family man and community leader who spent most of his life in the Eagle Valley. He was a problem-solver, the kind of guy who could fix anything from a flat tire to a broken heart. Dennie gave much, much more to the community than he ever took out of it.
Born October 7, 1914, in Denver to William And Nettie Eaton, Dennie was an infant when his family moved to the Eagle Valley the following year, where they worked at ranching, framing, and timbering. The ranch residences for the Eaton family included the Offerson place, which is now Beaver Creek, the McCoy Ranch (Arrowhead), and the Hanwold Ranch (now known as the Miller Ranch property at Edwards).
His elementary education took place in a small schoolhouse on Squaw Creek. In 1925, his father's failing health prompted the family to pack up and move to California. The family weathered the Depression years together.
In 1934, Dennie's brother, Charley, mailed him a letter and $18 in cash urging him to return to Eagle. Dennie accepted that offer, returned to Colorado, and went to work feeding cows on his brother's ranch.
In 1937, he married Mary Irene Thorpe. Three children, Linda, Brenda, and Herbert, were born of that union. In addition to ranch work, Dennie was well-known for his carpentry skills. Dennie liked to explain that the first carpenter job he ever took on was to build a rabbit hutch for his mother. Years later, he built her a house.
Dennie went on to build or remodel many homes in the Eagle and Gypsum communities. He had a reputation for unfailingly square corners and an excellent carpenter work. Locally, to say that Dennie Eaton built your house was to brag about the quality of the work.
The first marriage ended in a divorce. On March 6, 1958, Dennie married Lucille Ping. Together, they owned and operated the Serve U Shop, and clothing and sundries store located downtown in a brick building that Dennie constructed. That building now houses the Kuttin' Korner beauty shop and Allen Insurance.
Nor a person to just sit by and watch things happen, Eaton took an active role in the community. He served 8 years on the Eagle Town Board in the 1960s and was instrumental in the construction of a modern water system in the town. He lost a very close race for county treasurer.
In the 1960s, Eagle Valley Enterprise editor Marilla McCain began a campaign to create a local medical service. Evoking an "if you build it, they will come" philosophy, a local citizens committee set about building a clinic. They figured a good building would attract a good doctor. Dennie was one of the first citizens to sign onto the project, donating hundreds of hours one summer to constructing the modest brick building. That building served the community until a few years ago, when it was demolished to make room for the new Eagle library.
Dennie also built the original Eagle County Fairgrounds grandstands, which are now being replaced. He was well into his senior citizen yars when the Methodist church congregation determined the time was right for a new church. Again, Dennie was int eh forefront when the calls for volunteers came in.
Of course, life was not all work. He loved the outdoors and many friends and relatives can tell of memorable camping, fishing, and snowmobiling trips. Dennie loved to ski and did so about twice a week until his hip replacement surgery in 1997. His grandkids recall that they could neither follow nor lead their grandfather, as he traversed across the ski runs greeting them at each encounter with a smiling "Hello again".
He enjoyed a sip of bourbon and a game of cards and passed some leisure hours playing "Pitch" with friends at the Eagle Pool Hall. Dennie enjoyed good music, and played both the saxophone and clarinet. He particularly liked Big band music, which would trigger memories of the days he and his brother Melvin formed a small band to play for local dances.
Dennie was a living cache of local history and always had a good story to tell. For a few years, he was a regular driver for his senior citizen van.
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Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D - April 18, 1999
Vail Daily - April 22, 1999
Denver (Dennie) C. Eaton of Eagle passed away at his hoome April 15, 1999. He was 84. Dennie was born October 7, 1914 in Denver to William and Nettie (Fiant) Eatn.
In 1915, he moved with his family to Beaver Creek, where they were all involved in various ranching, farming, and timber activities. In 1918, he lived with his parents at the McCoy Ranch, which later became Arrowhead. Later, they loved on the Hanwold Ranch (Now Singletree) where he helped the family raise hay and crops.
In 1926, Dennie moved to Maywood, CA with his mother and father where he attended school through 11th grade.
Dennie married Mary Irenen Thorpe on December 25, 1937. They had three children: LInda (Frank) Propernick, Brenda (ALan) Nunn and Herbert (Arnetta) Eaton. Dennie and Mary later divorced.
Dennie later married Lucille (Krebs) Ping) on March 6, 1958. Dennie and Lucille owned and operated the Serv U Shop in downtown Eagle. Dennie also worked as a carpenter, building numerous houses in Eagle until his retirement in 1977.
Dennie was a devoted husband, father, and grandpa, and community servant, always giving of himself to his family and friends his zest for life and his love of God. He thrived in the outdoors with his love of camping, fishing snowmobiling, and skiing-- he skied up until he had his hip replaced in 1997.
Dennie is survived by his daugthers, Linda Propernick of Grand Junction and Brenda Nunn of Eagle, his son, Herbert Eaton of Eagle, twp step sons (Jim (Shan) Ping of Lafayette, Russell (JoAnn) ping of Durango, and Harrold (Loretta) Kimminau of Denver. 23 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces and many many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Lucille, step daughter Irene (Ping) Kimminau and five brothers-- Johnie, Carl, Chet, Charley, and Melvin-- two sisters-- Lillian (Tiny) and Zelma-- and one granddaughter, Shawna Propernick.
A memorial was held Tuesday with a viewing prior to the service at the Eagle Community United Methodist Church in Eagle. Interment immediately followed at Sunset View cemetery in Eagle.
