Dennis Cockrell

Dennis E. Cockrell, age 77 of Belle Fourche, died Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at the Rolling Hills Healthcare Center in Belle Fourche.

The funeral service will be held 10:30 am Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at St. Paul Catholic Church in Belle Fourche.  A visitation will be held 5 to 7pm Tuesday at Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche.  Interment will take place in Pine Slope Cemetery.

Dennis Edward Cockrell was born July 12, 1941 in Redfield, South Dakota.  He was the son of Harry and Elsie (Kisner) Cockrell.  Dennis grew up on a family farm near Tulare, SD.  He graduated from the Tulare High School and began working for Chicago Northwestern Railroad (CNW).  In 1979 he was united in marriage to Colleen Tracy in Waubay SD.  To this union was born 3 children: Traci, Hope, and Nick.  Following their marriage, they lived on the farm in Tulare and later they moved to Pierre.  In 1986 they moved to Belle Fourche,SD, where the railroad eventually became Union Pacific Railroad (UP).  Dennis worked many years for the railroad following the company to Lusk WY in 1996.  He retired from the railroad in 2004. 

Dennis was a kind-hearted, gentle man.  In his younger years he specialized in building race cars and he was an avid hunter and fisherman.  Dennis loved animals especially his dogs. He enjoyed gardening and wood-working and he loved his children.  Papa Cockrell, as the grandkids called him, was a wonderful grandfather and he will be missed greatly by his family.

Dennis is survived by his children, Traci (Chad) Hanson of Piedmont, Hope (Christopher) Jackson of Belle Fourche, Nick (Rachelle) Cockrell of Belle Fourche; 8 grandchildren, Tadum and Avery Cockrell, Chloe and Aubree Hanson, Isabelle, Payton, Evan, and Sadie Jackson; brother, Harry Jr. (Mary Ann) Cockrell of Magna UT; sisters, Ruby (Gary) Huggett of Webster SD, Norma (Leon) Palmer of Sisseton SD, Evelyn Ost (Gordon Marzahn) of Basset NE; sister-in-law Dee Cockrell and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Clayton (Susie) and Merle Cockrell; and sister, Harriet (Neil) Binger.

Funeral Service

10:30 A.M. – Wednesday – March 20, 2019

St. Paul Catholic Church

Belle Fourche, South Dakota

Celebrant

Monsignor Michael Woster

Music

“On Eagle’s Wings”, “Be Not Afraid”,

“Shepherd Me O God”, “Eye Has Not Seen”,

“Old Hundreth”, “May the Choir of Angels”,

“How Great Thou Art”

Katie Hoffmann, pianist

Casketbearers

Nick Cockrell                                                Tadum Cockrell

Chad Hanson                                         Christopher Jackson

Gary Huggett                                                   Evan Jackson

Payton Jackson

Interment

Pine Slope Cemetery

Belle Fourche, South Dakota

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