Service of Remembrance for Dean A. Leonard, 62, of Bison, SD and Hettinger, ND will be Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at the American Lutheran Church in Bison, SD. Rev. Marjorie Hershey will officiate and burial will follow at the Bison Cemetery. Visitations will be from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23 at the the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Hettinger and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Church in Bison.

DEAN ALLAN LEONARD was born on November 6, 1946 to Rollo and Frances (Varland) Leonard in Bismarck, ND. He grew up in Morristown, SD and graduated from McIntosh High School in 1964. Dean attended Hanson's Mechanical Trade School in Fargo, ND to become a Diesel Mechanic and then went to Springfield, SD to train to become a machinist.


Dean married Sandra Butler on December 30, 1965 in McIntosh, SD. They lived in the area and farmed. Dean worked at Orville's Implement in Hettinger, ND for many years and then started custom harvesting in 1976 with Julius Goplin. In 1988 Dean took over the harvesting business and continued to operate from Texas to Canada for the rest of his life.


Dean was a hardworking and patient man who loved his family and grandchildren immensely. He was a diabetic for over 44 years, yet the disease never stopped him from what he loved the most, his family and his work.


Dean passed away suddenly at the North Suburban Medical Center in Thornton, CO on January 20, 2009.


Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Sandy, of Hettinger, son Brad, of Bison, SD and daughter Barb Umsted, of Thornton, CO, sister, Joyce Flynn, of Rapid City, SD, grandson, Reece Leonard of Bison, granddaughter, Madeline Umsted, of Thornton, CO and his stepfather Johnny Schell, of Morristown, SD. Dean was preceded in death by his parents, Rollo Leonard and Frances Schell and one half-brother, Terry Sutton.