Reinhold Denke was born February 11, 1908, on his half uncle's homestead located in the Grindstone Community 15 miles north of Quinn, South Dakota, the son of August and Rosina (Schuler) Denke.

He was baptized Feburary 24, 1908, by a travelling Lutheran minister, Pastor G. Hoelscher, in Grindstone.  He renewed his baptismal vows in confirmation on June 4, 1922, at St. Paul's Evangelical Luthern Church, 14 miles north of Quinn.

Reinhold grew up in the Creighton area and graduated from the Rainy Creek Rural School.  As a young man, he worked on his parents' farm and for neighbors.  When he became of age, he worked for his father for two years for a quarter of land with a house and barn on it.

Reinhold was united in marriage to Rose Helms on April 7, 1931, at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church.  After the wedding, they went to their ranch where the lived their entire married life, through depression, drought and prosperity.  He never liked farming, but enjoyed haying and working with the livestock.

He worked as a foreman on the concrete crew while the minuteman missile silos were being built in Western South Dakota.

After his wife's death on January 2, 1988, he continued to live on the ranch until health reasons forced his to leave the ranch.

Reinhold held several offices at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church.  When they transferred to First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wall, he served on the finance board and two terms as an elder, which he enjoyed very much.  He served as the chairman of the school board for 21 years.

Grateful for having shared his life are his three daughters, Gailya Logan and her husband, Philip, of Philip, Cerella Overgard and her husband, Edwin, of Pavillion, WY, and Loretta Brendlinger and her husband, Roy, of Freeport, Pennsylvania; five sons, Herman Denke and his wife, Dora Jean, of Deerbrook, Wisonsin, Donald Denke and his wife, Delores of Pavillion, Wyoming, Marvin Denke and Betty Brotherton of Philip, Leland Denke and his wife, Ira Lee, of LaMont, Oklahoma, and Byron Denke and his wife, Cherry, of Quinn; 27 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; eight step-grandchildren; one brother, Emil Denke of New Underwood; one sister, Brigetta Geigle of Wall; two sisters-in-law, Tillila Denke, of Wall and Bertha Denke of New Underwood; two brother-in-laws, Erving Helms of Creighton and Norman Barrons of Hemet, California; and a host of other relatives and friends.

In addition to his beloved wife, Rose, he was preceded in death by three sons, Richard in infancy in 1934, Wesley in 1956, and Linden in 1958; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his parents; and four brothers, Henry, Robert, John and Albert; and one sister, Anna Heinrick.

The family requests memorials be directed to the First Lutheran Church of Wall or the Hans P. Peterson Memorial Hospital Capital Campaign.

Services
Monday, August 28, 2000
10:00 a.m.
First Evangelical Lutheran Church
Wall, South Dakota

Officiating
Pastor Ray Greenseth

Music
Kathy Clark - Organist
Lutheran Church Choir - "For Me to Live in Jesus" #267
Congregational Hymns
"I Know That My Redeemer Lives" #264
"How Great Thou Art" #519

Ushers
Dennis Sieler - Elden Helms

Active Pallbearers (Denke Grandsons)
Jamie Denke - Marvin Robin Denke - Clay Denke
Jorday Denke - Richard Denke
Justin Denke - Monte Denke

Honorary Pallbearers
The remaining grandchildren and
all the relatives and friends in attendance

Interment
Wall Cemetery
Wall, South Dakota