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Funeral services for Denny Zabel, 77, of Selby will be at 10 AM, Thursday, November 7, 2019, at St. John Lutheran Church in Selby. Burial will be at Selby Memorial Gardens under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be at 6 PM Wednesday at the church with a prayer service at 7 PM. Denny passed away Saturday, November 2, 2019, at the Mobridge Regional Hospital.

Dennis Loel Zabel was born November 3, 1941 to Walt and Lorine (Miller) Zabel and grew up on a farm southwest of Selby before moving to town in 1952.  He starting working at his parent's implement dealership as a teenager, later taking over and running the business until 1992.

He and Karol Bieber of Mobridge were married in 1962 and spent 57 years together filled with adventure, love, and laughter.  They had two boys, Mark and Matt, and seven grandkids.

Denny lived an exceptionally full life and took his family and friends along for the ride.  He loved being an outdoorsman, a farmer, an athlete, a coach, a scoutmaster, a fireman, and a friend.  He was happiest when fishing for walleyes, hunting pheasants, or playing cards with his friends and family.

Denny was always a particular favorite of his grandkids.  He and his green Pierre Governors hat were a fixture at every baseball, basketball, and football game played by his older grandsons Peyton, Grey, and Jett.  His four younger grandkids would squeal with excitement and laughter any time grandpa Denny was around.  His horsey rides, living-room wrestling matches, and card tricks were legendary among his kids and grandkids.

He was a true one of a kind, and everyone who knew him had their favorite "Denny story."  He walked fast, was a loyal friend, and loved his family hard.  He threw a mean fastball, could dance his wife off her feet, and unleashed a small tornado of a golf swing.  When his friends were slowing down as they approached 70, Denny was playing tennis and slalom water skiing.

Denny died on November 2, 2019, one day short of his 78th birthday.  He had just spent what for him was the perfect day doing what he loved most - spending time on his farm with his son and grandson combining his crops and watching deer run and pheasants fly.

He is survived by his wife Karol, his sons Mark (Tanna) of Pierre and Matt (Ianthe) of Edina, MN, and his seven grandchildren, Peyton, Grey, Jett, Jack, Mae, Eddie, and Jane, sister Dianne (Ron) Stroh of Selby.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Walt and Lorine, and his sister Judy.