Dennis Ylitalo 1945 - 2021

Dennis D. Ylitalo, 76, passed away  October 27, 2021, in Bismarck, North Dakota.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, November 5, 2021, at Bismarck Funeral Home. Burial with full military honors will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan.

Dennis was born May 26, 1945, in  Ashland, Wisconsin, to Wayne and Viola (Anderson) Ylitalo. He attended schools in Ashland and Marengo before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1963. He was part of the 25th Infantry, Tropic Lightning, and was stationed in Hawaii and Vietnam. Dennis was proud to be a Vietnam veteran.

After being honorably discharged in 1967, he moved to various locations in the U.S. before putting down his roots in Oregon. Dennis worked in radiator repair shops before starting his own business hauling firewood. Later on, he enjoyed some years long-haul trucking. In 2018, he moved to North Dakota to be closer to his children and grandchildren.

Dennis was a jack-of-all-trades. He was an avid fisherman and he passed his love of fishing on to his daughter. He loved doing woodworking, gardening and general "toodling around the house."  He had a huge sense of humor, an obnoxiously optimistic attitude and was always ready to give unwelcome but good-hearted advice. He will be missed immensely.

Dennis is survived by his daughters, Margaret “Mickey” (Jesse) Irvin, Denise (Josh) Johnson, and Tami (Jeff) Olson; grandchildren, Tristan, Silas and Eden Johnson, and Nicholas, Elisabeth and Brett Olson; sister, Julie Spoonemore; and many nieces and nephews who all loved him very much.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Ramon Ylitalo; and sister, Marilynne Hagstrom.