Dennis Ernest Rosenow passed away on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at CentraCare Hospital in Monticello at the age of 85. A Funeral Service in his honor will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at Iten Funeral Home in Browerville, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Full Military Honors will take place at the funeral home following the service. Interment will be at 2:00 PM at St. Mary's Cemetery in Long Prairie. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials in memory of Dennis are preferred to a church or charity of your choosing.

Dennis was born on June 29th, 1939, to John and Elsie (Minke) Rosenow. He was baptized and confirmed in the Trinity Lutheran Church. He was raised on the family farm south-east of Long Prairie and attended District 10 Country School through the 8th grade. He graduated from Long Prairie High School in 1957. For 3 ½ years during high school, he was also in the National Guard.  From there, he joined the Air Force and spent his next 4 years stationed in the Sumpter, South Carolina Mobile Unit, where he traveled to many different countries including Vietnam during wartime. He was honorably discharged in 1961.

After returning home, he helped on the family farm and drove truck for Ray Schultz Trucking. In 1962, he moved to Minneapolis and worked for Montana-Dakota Utilities as a printer. Dennis became reacquainted and fell in love with his former classmate, Leona “Lee” Borgert. They were united in marriage on August 7th, 1965, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. A few years later, they returned to Long Prairie where they bought the house that they still call home today. Their union brought forth 2 daughters, Susan and Pamela. Dennis started working at Hart Press as a stripper in the Litho Prep Department where he later became Supervisor. He stayed there until his retirement in 2001.

In the early 70s, he bought and dismantled Trinity Lutheran Parsonage where he fostered his craftmanship by using the salvaged materials to build his cottage at Lake Latimer. He planted hundreds of trees and dug a pond until he was surrounded by his own little woods. Dennis lovingly cared for his place, where he spent countless hours on his John Deere lawn tractor, fishing from the dock, and just enjoying the nature around him. Dennis was innovative and created his own solar heat panels out of painted aluminum pop cans. He was always researching and looking for new ways to incorporate the use of natural resources to better his habitat.

In his younger years, Dennis enjoyed attending car races, trapshooting, and archery. He was an outdoorsman through and through. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and went on many fishing trips with his friends to Canada, the Great Lakes, Alaska, Costa Rica, and other places. He enjoyed traveling with his family and many bus trips with Lee in later years. After he retired from the shop, he and Lee loved to host many fish fries for family, friends, and former coworkers.

Dennis loved being a dad to his daughters but truly thrived when he became a grandpa. Together, Dennis and Lee enjoyed attending sporting events, concerts, and any activities. They traveled all over the surrounding area from the time the grandkids started tee ball through their high school graduations. He rarely missed an opportunity to cheer them on.

If you’ve encountered Dennis, you’ve likely been “shot” by his finger guns (as this was his thing to do). You would have also likely heard the words “this is a stick up”, “fifty dollars”, and his referral of himself as “Mr. Wonderful”. He never met a stranger and seldom missed an opportunity to joke with anyone.

In his later years, Dennis struggled with Dementia/Alzheimer’s, but he remained in his home, where he knew he was most lovingly cared for by his wife, until just one week before his passing.

He loved coffee, cookies, a game of smear, a good western, and just doing life with his beloved wife and family.

He leaves behind his wife of 59 ½ years, Lee; 2 daughters, Susan (David) Cebulla, Pam (Denis) Irsfeld; 8 grandchildren, Tyler, Tucker (Megan), Tommy, Thaniel, Toby (girlfriend, Maddy) Cebulla, Abigail (Benjamin) Dreher, Olivia (fiancé, Trevor Kern), Madeline (boyfriend, Marshall) Irsfeld; 3 great-grandsons, Ryder and Rhodes Dreher, and Decker Cebulla; brother, Joyce (Lila) Rosenow; sister, Peggy Anderson; and nieces and nephews.

Dennis was preceded in death by his parents; mother and father-in-law, Ray and Helen Borgert; and sister and brother-in-law, Doris and Ron Clubb.