Obituary of Dennis D Paden

IN LOVING MEMORY OF DENNIS D. PADEN Dennis D. Paden, son of Luther and Edna (Grabhorn) Paden, was born December 12, 1941, in Holton, Kansas, and passed away at the Norton County Hospital on December 8, 2018, at the age of 76. Dennis lived with his family in Holton and Densmore, Kansas, before his family moved to the farm northwest of Norton. He attended Norton County School District #121 and graduated from the Norton Community High School with the class of 1959. Dennis served in the Kansas National Guard and was honorably discharged. In 1966, he was united in marriage to Mary Hiser. One son, Randall, was born to this union. After 22 years, this marriage ended in divorce. He was again united into marriage in 1990, to Evelyn Fredde and later divorced in 1993. Dennis's love of any big engine was evident when he drove a large earthmover helping to build the Norton dam, and then later helping to build one of the grain elevators in Norton. He was employed as a driver for Ideal Truck Lines for several years before becoming a self-employed over the road truck driver. He had several different truck driving jobs before he started working at the Norton Power Plant. At the power plant he enjoyed working on the big engines and keeping them running for 20 years before he retired. After retirement he volunteered at the Thrift Store in Norton. Dennis loved his trains and steam engines, big and small. He meticulously built several scale model engines authentic to the last detail. He enjoyed driving and talking about his large case steam engine at the Bird City shows with Randy and his granddaughters. Survivors include: his son, Randy, and wife, Amy Paden, Solomon, KS; two granddaughters, Brieanna and Bailey Paden; his sister, Cheryl, and husband, Rod Bates, Oakley, KS; three nephews, Jeff (Jeri) Bates, Beloit, KS; Darren (Angela) Bates, Miltonvale, KS; Daniel (Traci) Bates, Lincoln, KS. He will be sadly missed by his coffee drinking buddies and his good friends at Bird City. He will be remembered for his hearty laugh and his love of a good joke. Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, Luther and Edna Paden. FUNERAL SERVICE – Friday, December 14, 2018 – 1:00 P.M. PLACE – Enfield Funeral Home – Norton, Kansas VISITATION – Thursday, December 13, 2018 from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. at Enfield Funeral Home in Norton INTERMENT – Norton Cemetery – Norton, Kansas MEMORIALS – Dennis Paden Memorial Fund