Dennis Craiger

Dennis Craiger, age 75 of Spearfish, was called home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 at the Hospice House in Rapid City.

The funeral service will be held 10:30 AM Monday, November 26, 2018 at the First Baptist Church of the Northern Hills in Deadwood.  Visitation will be held 1 hour prior to the service.  Interment will take place in Rose Hill Cemetery, in Spearfish. 

Funeral arrangements are with Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche.

Dennis Craiger was born July 13, 1943 in Benham, Kentucky.  He was the son of Edgar David and Lorena (Huff) Craiger.  Dennis grew up in Lynch KY where he graduated from high school in 1961.  During his high school years, Dennis played football and he was always proud to be a member of the team that won back to back state high school championships.  After high school, Dennis attended Marshall University in Huntington WV.  He was united in marriage to Zelda Rogers on January 30, 1963 and following their marriage they lived in Atlanta GA and Lynch KY.  During most of this time, Dennis worked in the coal mines for U.S. Steel.  Dennis and Zelda were later divorced.  On July 6, 1991 he was married to Rita Anderson in Lynch KY.  Following their marriage, they lived in Clinton, Iowa and Prairieville, LA.  For many years, Dennis worked as a Safety Engineer for Pot Ash of Saskatchewan.  In 1998 they moved to Spearfish SD where they have lived since.

Dennis was a great humorist and story teller.  He always enjoyed to tell a good story, and it usually had the effect of making people smile. Dennis was an avid fan of the Kentucky Wildcats football and basketball teams. At the age of 13, Dennis was baptized in the river near Lynch Kentucky.  That was always a special day for him.  In August of 2013, he became an ordained Baptist minister.  Dennis was a good husband and father, and he is going to be missed greatly.

Dennis is survived by his wife, Rita of Spearfish; son, Stephen (Amanda) Anderson of Lemoore CA; daughter, Loree (Jason) Schlichtemeier of Sturgis; 5 grandchildren: Kassi Anderson, Kaleb Anderson, Lauren Anderson, Connor Anderson, Katie Anderson; sisters, Rebecca Gluck of Lynch KY, Mary Lynn Jackson of Lynch KY; two nieces, Candace Greason and Loeryn Eldridge; and 1 nephew, John Gregory Gluck.

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