Jerry Lloyd Dent, 65, of Detroit Lakes, Minn., died Saturday, March 18, 2006, at his home under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley.
A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Community Alliance Church in Detroit Lakes with the Rev. Paul McKibben and Robert Cummings officiating. A visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. today at the West-Kjos Funeral Home of Detroit Lakes, with a 7 p.m. prayer and share service, and one hour prior to the service on Friday at the church. Burial will be in Guthrie Cemetery in Guthrie.
Pallbearers will be Dick Moen, Dale Wilde, Dave Husby, Dean Nelson, Kevin Gustafson and Russ Sauer.
Honorary pallbearers will be Nate Bawden, Jonathan Cummings, Kevin Christianson,
Al Gillespie, Christopher Punt and Chris Cummings.
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He was born on April 12, 1940, to William and Doris Smith Dent, in Cass Lake. He grew up in the rural area, attending grade school in Guthrie and Nary, and graduated from Bemidji High School in 1958. He then went to California, where he began a career in banking that spanned more than 27 years, with the major portion in Bemidji at Northern National Bank.
His joy in life came from two experiences that gave him purpose and drive: when he came to know Jesus Christ in 1949 as his own savior and lord and then in 1962 when he married Rosemary Opsal in Laporte. They had three daughters.
He left banking and was encouraged to go into the ministry. He attended Oak Hills Bible College near Bemidji, graduating in 1988. While still in college, he worked with a church in Akeley and in the fall of 1988 accepted a call to pastor the First Baptist Church in Bemidji. In 1996, he went to Community Alliance Church in Detroit Lakes, where he served as an associate pastor.
He began his bout with cancer in 2002. His faith, family and church friends greatly encouraged him.
His joys were teaching and studying the Bible, deer hunting, gardening, traveling, playing music, having coffee with friends and working with the seniors at high mileage.
He is survived by his wife, of Detroit Lakes; children, Doreen (James) Ashley of Albuquerque, N.M., Debra (Fred) Graves of Bemidji, Dawn (Ray) Berglund of Johnson City, Tenn., and Dave (Jenni) Dent of Santa Clarita, Calif.; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; brothers, Douglas (Kay) Dent of Guthrie and Brian (Carol) Dent of Grand Rapids, Minn.; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one grandson.
