Dennis A. Ewine, 75, Wilton, ND passed away December 28, 2022 at Sanford Health, Bismarck, ND.  Cremation will take place and a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Wilton with Monsignor Gene Lindemann officiating.  Interment with military honors will be held at 3:00 PM on Wednesday at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, rural Mandan.  Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM on Tuesday at the church in Wilton.

Dennis was born on February 18, 1947 in Bismarck, ND to Jack and Sophie (Waltos) Ewine, the youngest of four children.  He grew up on the family farm, north of Wilton and first attended country school near his home and later, Wilton School.

In 1966, Dennis enlisted in the US Army, completed his Basic Training at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, and then stationed at Ft. Carson, Colorado. He was deployed to Vietnam just a few days after his 21 ^st birthday.  He was originally assigned to the Infantry but after being the only one who was able to repair a broken-down tank, was quickly reassigned to Artillery.   He returned home from Vietnam in February of 1969 and completed his military service in Ft. Lewis, Washington a few months later.  He remained a proud veteran, member of the American Legion, and enjoyed putting up the cemetery flags in honor of Memorial Day for many years.  You would usually find him wearing his Veteran's cap, with a poppy tucked in.

In August of 1969, Dennis married Claudia Gregoryk and the couple moved to Wahpeton, where he attended ND State School of Science, specializing in Diesel Mechanics.  They then moved to Bismarck and Dennis began his career at Butler Machinery, for 10 years.  In 1981, the family moved back to their hometown of Wilton, to the homestead where Dennis grew up.  This is where he lived for the rest of his days.

In his younger years, Dennis enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, and riding his Harley.  Following his retirement in 2011 after 30 years at Falkirk Mine, Dennis settled into life at home.  He was happiest at home, tinkering in his garage, tackling home improvement projects, tending to his yard and trees, and spending time with his family and pets.   He was always willing to lend a hand and many of his friends and neighbors were helped by his mechanical abilities.  Dennis also had a huge heart for animals, especially his dog, Cookie.   He also loved spending time with his wife, kids, and grandkids and hearing about all of their many activities.  He was often called upon to rescue a grandkid who needed a charged battery for the gator or gas in the 4-wheeler.

Despite his health challenges over the years, Dennis never lost his fighting spirit or his love of life (although he may have been grouchy with a nurse or two and never quite developed a taste for hospital food.)  He stayed active and enjoyed taking his daily trip to Wilton/Washburn with his dogs to get a newspaper and coffee and visiting with any friends he may have seen.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Claudia and his children, Deon, Cristin (James) Lawson, Dawn (Keith) Tschetter, and Cory; and his grandchildren, Jordyn Ewine, Keeliana, Emmi, and Delanie Lawson, and Kaia and Payton Tschetter; and many members of his extended family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings, Beverly Ewine, John (Betty/Alice) Ewine, and Audrey Sims; his father and mother-in-law, Andrew and Josie Gregoryk.