Dennis A. Block, 81, Paynesville

September 19, 1942 - November 9, 2023

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 16, 2023 at Grace United Methodist Church in Paynesville for Dennis A. Block, age 81, of Paynesville, who passed away suddenly at his home on Thursday, November 9, 2023. Reverend Jill Meents will officiate. Burial, with full military honors, will be in the Paynesville Cemetery in Paynesville.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at the Daniel-Anderson Funeral Home in Paynesville and from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service on Thursday at the Church.

Dennis was born on September 19, 1942 on the family farm in Paynesville to Rudolph and Martha (Driver) Block. He attended the Brown Country School in rural Paynesville and graduated from Paynesville High School in 1960. At 13 years old, Dennis started working for Allen Schultz on his mink farm and worked there until 1962. He then went on to work for Llewellyn Lang and Ted Verhay building pole barns.

Dennis was drafted in the United States Army and honorably served in the 25th Artillery Division in Plekku, Vietnam. He was honorably discharged in September of 1966.

He met his wife to be, Kathleen Wendlandt, at his sister’s farm when he was home on leave to help his father get the crop harvest in as his father was injured. They were united in marriage July 1, 1967 at Holy Methodist Church in Paynesville. Reverend Paul Pratt officiated the ceremony; Darlene Wendlandt was the maid of honor and Gene Wendlandt was the best man.
Dennis and Kathleen bought his parent’s farm in rural Paynesville in 1967. They had two children, Dean and Dawn. Dennis loved being outside, plowing, harvesting the crops and milking cows. Hunting was his favorite thing to do as evidenced by all the deer horns hanging on the living room wall.

He remodeled the dairy barn, built a milk room and could take anything apart and fix it. He decided to slow down when he turned 80 years old and rent out the land for his brother, Ric to farm alongside his son, Chris.

Dennis was a lifelong member of Grace United Methodist Church in Paynesville; being baptized and confirmed there. His favorite summer activity was Town and Country Days. He would help his wife, staff and other volunteers take the residents from the Manor and Koronis Place to see the parade and to visit with friends and school mates at the fair uptown. His winter hobby was compiling family history, completing three books on the Driver and Block families. Besides working on the farm, he enjoyed watching his kids, grandkids and great grandkids grow up.

Dennis is survived by his wife, Kathleen; daughter, Dawn (Jim) Hensel of Paynesville; granddaughters, Amanda (Mike) Ludwig of St. Cloud and Jackie (Mitch) Weidner of Mankato; great granddaughter, Adaline (Button) Weidner and great grandson, Theodore Dean Weidner.

He is preceded in death by his parents; son, Dean; sister, Darlene Wendlandt and many nieces and nephews.