Denny (Dennis) D. Hesman, 66, of Fremont passed away Thursday, July 31, 2014, at the Omaha Veterans Hospital after a long illness with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and the effects of Agent Orange.
Denny was born on Dec. 26, 1947, to Ivan and Lola (VanMatre) Hesman in Hastings. He grew up on the family farm south of Pauline. He attended elementary school in one room school houses at Union School and then later at Antioch. He attended Blue Hill High School and was a track star. He loved to run and attended the State Track Meet his senior year. Denny won medal after medal with his running ability and in breaking records and setting new ones. After high school, he entered the Marine Corps from June 1966 to June 1969 with a tour in Vietnam. He achieved the rank of corporal and also achieved many medals from the military as well as a Letter of Commendation. He married Cheryl F. Larsen (the love of his life) in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on July 11, 1970, celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary this past July. Denny loved agriculture and chose to work around grain elevators so he could have the best of both worlds … close to the farmers as well as the business of grain. Cheryl and his children, Joleen, Woody (Jamie), Jason, Jeremy and Joshua spent their lives following him from grain company to grain company moving from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Cincinnati, Ohio, to Chicago, Ill., with the Pillsbury Company, to Philadelphia (residing in Marlton, N.J.) to New Orleans for the Bunge Corp., to Columbus for Monroe Grain, to Davenport, Iowa, for Feruzzi Grain and finally to Fremont where he worked for DeBruce/Gavilon Grain for the past 25 years.
Denny was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Denny was the kind of man who really made an impact. He loved all people and especially children and needed to serve them as much as he could in any way he could. He never met a stranger and there was always room in his home for one more. He loved to garden and till the land. People used to tease him that he did not garden; he farmed. You can take the boy from the farm, but you can’t take the farm from his heart. Denny loved Nebraska Huskers overall but especially the football team. He spent many a Saturday sitting at a game or watching from his own living room ending up hoarse from loud coaching. He was a member of the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans. He served in many leadership positions with the GEAPS organization (a grain business organization) as well as many activities in his church.
Survivors include: his wife, Cheryl; one daughter, Joleen (Tom ) Cameron; four sons, Woody ( Kathy) Hesman, Jeremy ( Tasha) Hesman, Joshua (Heather) Hesman, all of Fremont, and Jason (Amy) Hesman of Eureka, Mo.; 15 grandchildren and two great-grandsons; three sisters, Norma (Wally) Krueger of Elkhorn, Donna (Jim) Menke of Nelson and Linda Hesman of Madrid; and one brother, Paul (Joyce) Hesman of Frazier Park, Calif., and numerous nieces and nephews.
Denny was preceded in death by his parents.
The funeral will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1160 North Garden City Road in Fremont. Bishop Seth Chappell will officiate. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Monday at Moser Memorial Chapel. Burial in Ridge Cemetery in Fremont with military honors conducted by the Fremont Honor Guard of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 854 and American Legion Post 20.
Memorials may be directed to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Online condolences may be left at: www.mosermemorialchapels.com
Denny was born on Dec. 26, 1947, to Ivan and Lola (VanMatre) Hesman in Hastings. He grew up on the family farm south of Pauline. He attended elementary school in one room school houses at Union School and then later at Antioch. He attended Blue Hill High School and was a track star. He loved to run and attended the State Track Meet his senior year. Denny won medal after medal with his running ability and in breaking records and setting new ones. After high school, he entered the Marine Corps from June 1966 to June 1969 with a tour in Vietnam. He achieved the rank of corporal and also achieved many medals from the military as well as a Letter of Commendation. He married Cheryl F. Larsen (the love of his life) in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on July 11, 1970, celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary this past July. Denny loved agriculture and chose to work around grain elevators so he could have the best of both worlds … close to the farmers as well as the business of grain. Cheryl and his children, Joleen, Woody (Jamie), Jason, Jeremy and Joshua spent their lives following him from grain company to grain company moving from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Cincinnati, Ohio, to Chicago, Ill., with the Pillsbury Company, to Philadelphia (residing in Marlton, N.J.) to New Orleans for the Bunge Corp., to Columbus for Monroe Grain, to Davenport, Iowa, for Feruzzi Grain and finally to Fremont where he worked for DeBruce/Gavilon Grain for the past 25 years.
Denny was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Denny was the kind of man who really made an impact. He loved all people and especially children and needed to serve them as much as he could in any way he could. He never met a stranger and there was always room in his home for one more. He loved to garden and till the land. People used to tease him that he did not garden; he farmed. You can take the boy from the farm, but you can’t take the farm from his heart. Denny loved Nebraska Huskers overall but especially the football team. He spent many a Saturday sitting at a game or watching from his own living room ending up hoarse from loud coaching. He was a member of the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans. He served in many leadership positions with the GEAPS organization (a grain business organization) as well as many activities in his church.
Survivors include: his wife, Cheryl; one daughter, Joleen (Tom ) Cameron; four sons, Woody ( Kathy) Hesman, Jeremy ( Tasha) Hesman, Joshua (Heather) Hesman, all of Fremont, and Jason (Amy) Hesman of Eureka, Mo.; 15 grandchildren and two great-grandsons; three sisters, Norma (Wally) Krueger of Elkhorn, Donna (Jim) Menke of Nelson and Linda Hesman of Madrid; and one brother, Paul (Joyce) Hesman of Frazier Park, Calif., and numerous nieces and nephews.
Denny was preceded in death by his parents.
The funeral will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1160 North Garden City Road in Fremont. Bishop Seth Chappell will officiate. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Monday at Moser Memorial Chapel. Burial in Ridge Cemetery in Fremont with military honors conducted by the Fremont Honor Guard of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 854 and American Legion Post 20.
Memorials may be directed to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Online condolences may be left at: www.mosermemorialchapels.com
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