Delbert "Denny" Starr Denison

Denny was born in Fargo, ND and grew up in Rogers, ND, son of George & Alla D. "Donna" Dennison and brother to sister Carol.  He joined the Army in 1956 and served for 16 months in the Army in the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1958.  Denny was an entrepreneur (much like his parents).  He owned Denny's Standard Truck Stop at Interstate 94 in Valley City until 1963.  In 1966, he married the love of his life, Arlene Smith Rickel from Tower City, ND and was Blessed with her 4 children that he loved as his own, Marlene, Kathleen (Kathy), Alvin and Alex. In 1966 he sold and contracted school buses in Mandan and Hazelton, ND where he picked up the nickname by his school passengers as "4-speed".  (He skipped a gear to get that name and the kids loved him.)

From 1975 to 1996, Denny and Arlene purchased 26 acres of land in Mandan and developed it into commercial lots called "Denison Industrial Park" and continued selling handicap buses and equipment while later moving into a quaint wooden cabin in Bismarck.

Denny was known for his "jolly" nature; always laughing, telling jokes (one-liners mostly). Probably his greatest gift in life was to make people of all ages, young and old, laugh. In the local papers, he was voted "Entertainer of the Year" the last 2-3 years of his life.

He loved to sing and dance; even on skates – he did the waltz on skates as gracefully as he danced on his feet!  He adored kids and they adored him.

Denny passed 12/22/25 and was preceded in death by his wife, Arlene, his parents George & Donna, his sister Carol, two brother-in laws John & Hannes and nephew-in-law Allen W and niece-in-law Bonnie H.

We, the family of Denny, thank God for his life.  We will miss him dearly, but we know he is healthy and happy in Heaven.

Denny is survived by his 4 children; Marlene (Wayne) Kamiya, Roseville, CA, Kathleen (Leo) Morgan-Vogt, Concord, CA, Alvin (Shirley) Rickel, Bismarck, ND, Alex (Annette) Rickel, San Antonio, TX;  7 Grandchildren; 13 Great-grandchildren & 2 Great-great-grandchildren and Nieces Vickii Wyttenbach and Vala Tilley (Jerry), Nephews Leslie (Sherri) Halgrimson   Edward Hallgrimson; 13 Great, 28 Great-great & 17 Great-great-great nieces/nephews.

A Celebration of Life Service for Denny will be held at 1:00 PM, Friday, May 15, 2026 in the Traditions Funeral Services Lerud-Mathias Funeral Home Chapel, Valley City, North Dakota.  He will be buried with military honors at Memory Gardens, near Valley City.

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