Dennis Drake

Dennis lived in Kansas until he was 9, at which time his family moved to Ault. He graduated from Pierce High school in 1953. Dennis worked on the family farm with his Dad until 1957, when he was called to serve in the Army. He was stationed in Fort Hood Texas and served for 2 years before being honorably discharged in 1959. While returning to farming, he also worked 2 campaigns for the Great Western sugar beet factory in 1960 & 1961. He owned and operated an auto repair shop named Drake Repair in Greeley in the early 1960s. He did most of the repair work at night so he could farm by day. He continued to farm until retiring in 2013.

Dennis married Dorothy Hein on August 19, 1955. They had 3 children during their 42-year marriage. Dorothy passed on December 2, 1997. He then married Ardith Ella (Sexton) Cook on December 18, 1998. They were married for 10 years until Ardith’s passing on April 1, 2008. He married Mary Ann (Dinkel) Thornton on October 22, 2011. They were happily married for 5 years before Dennis’ passing.

Dennis loved farming and restoring old tractors. He repaired and maintained all of his own equipment. He even designed and built several pieces of machinery himself. He enjoyed going to farm equipment auctions and farm shows, especially the old iron and old thresher’s events. Dennis worked long days and sometimes into the nights until his failing health wouldn’t allow it anymore. Dennis was a great steward of the land and planted 10- 20 thousand trees in windbreaks on all of his properties from 1974 to 2014.

Dennis is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Drake of Ault; daughters, Linda (Chuck) Blehm of Ault and Patty (Greg) Michaud of LaPorte; sons, David (Kerri) Drake of Ault, Ronnie (Elaine) Cook of Colorado Springs, Donnie (Paula) Cook of Driggs, ID, and Gary (Brigette) Cook of Durango; sister, Cindy Sidwell of Ault; grandchildren, Autumn (Harry) Petty of Cheyenne, WY, Tiah (Alex) Goit and Sean (Bree) Rigg both of Wellington, Bevan (Tara) Rigg of Windsor, Nyssa (Josh) Quarrles of Colorado Springs, Jennifer (Stephen) McKinzie of Greeley, Amanda O’Donnell of Fort Collins and Chloe Cook and Caris Cook both of Durango, Daniel (Jennifer) Michaud and Michael (Becky) Michaud of Fort Collins, Jason Michaud of Atlanta, GA, Kevin Michaud and Lee Francisco of Phoenix, AZ, Lisa (Aaron) Bloser of Loveland and great-grandchildren, Michael Drake of Pine Bluffs, WY, Johnathan, Brieanna, and Nevaeh Hayes all of Cheyenne, WY, Anya and Kyron Panella and Taylor Goit all of Wellington, Jared Covill of Longmont, Samantha Hammond of Ault, Tori Hammond of Broomfield, Ivy Hammond of Wellington, Clara Rigg of Windsor, Malachi and Amarah McKinzie of Greeley and Layla Smith of Fort Collins, Wesley, Jack, and Lincoln Michaud of Fort Collins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Gene and Ruth Drake, 2 wives, Dorothy Drake and Ardith Drake, his son, Harold Drake, and grandson, Justin Drake

Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 7, 2016 followed by a funeral service at 1:00 p.m., both at Stoddard Funeral Home. Interment to be at the Ault cemetery.

Please consider memorial contributions to Ault Area Historical Museum, National Honor Flight, or Northern Plains Library, all in care of Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 West 28th Street, Greeley, Colorado 80634.