Pierre, SD – Dennie Pfrimmer passed away at home on September 4, 2024, from pancreatic cancer. Funeral service will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Oahe Presbyterian Church in Pierre. He chose his final resting place to be Cedar Hill Cemetery in Fort Pierre, South Dakota.

Dennis (Dennie) Keith Pfrimmer was born on February 20, 1954 at the Buena Vista County Hospital in Storm Lake, Iowa to Don and Blanche (Robinson) Pfrimmer. He was their fourth and last child. He had an older brother (Gary Eugene) and two older sisters (Evelyn Kay and Linda Jane). His parents, siblings, grandmother Annie Robinson, and uncle Robert Robinson all lived at 406 South Selkirk in Schaller, Sac County, Iowa.

Dennie was baptized and confirmed at the First Presbyterian Church in Schaller. He attended Schaller Community Schools for thirteen years. He played football, basketball and ran track; and was involved with student government. He attended Boy’s State. Dennie was given the 1971 Art Award and the 1972 Vocal Music Award. He was selected to participate in the Northwest Iowa Chorus and the Iowa All State Chorus.

His father owned and operated an electrical business. Dennie worked with his father in the business throughout elementary and high school years. There was always plenty of farm work to do around the area. Dennie helped with haying, walking beans, rogueing seed corn, milking cows, feeding livestock, shelling corn and other chores.

Dennie met Toni Blum of Wall Lake, IA and began dating in December 1971. They were married July 13, 1973. Two children were born to this union: Jesse Bennett and Kahala Marie.

Dennie started college at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. He transferred to the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA in the fall of 1973. Because of his experience working with his father, Dennie took a part time job with the University in their maintenance department. Dennie and Toni also worked weekends at Quakerdale Group Homes for juvenile delinquents. He graduated in March 1976 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work.

Dennie and Toni moved to Yankton, SD so Toni could complete her nursing degree at Mount Marty College. Dennie worked at the SD Department of Social Services in Yankton for five years providing social services to single parents who were receiving welfare benefits. He transferred to the SD Human Services Center, the state psychiatric hospital in 1981. He worked there as a psychiatric social worker for eight years. During this time, he completed his Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Nebraska—Omaha in December 1988.

Dennie and Toni divorced in 1989. He moved to Pierre, SD to take a position with Capital Area Counseling Service—a community mental health and addiction treatment center. Dennie joined Oahe Presbyterian Church and became an ordained Deacon, ordained Elder and sang in the choir. He met Cheryl Stone in February 1991 and they were married in the Capitol Rotunda on November 11, 1992. Dennie and Cheryl enjoyed boating, camping, fishing and travelling. Their favorite destination was Key West, FL.

In 1992, he and his colleagues were given the Governor’s Award for Teamwork by South Dakota Governor Walter Dale Miller for a new mental health program they developed in Yankton, South Dakota called IMPACT. He was selected as the South Dakota Chapter of the National Association of Social Worker’s Social Worker of the Year in 2012 for his work in helping to develop a graduate school of Social Work at the University of South Dakota. Dennie was given the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 by the South Dakota Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. The Mayors of Pierre and Fort Pierre designated October 6, 2020 as Dennis Pfrimmer Day in the cities honoring his career and retirement. He was given the Visionary Award by the Capital Area Counseling Board of Directors in 2024 for his program development during the time he was with the agency. Dennie was a past President of the Pierre / Fort Pierre Rotary Club.

Later in life he spent many hours researching his family’s ancestors. Dennie retired from Capital Area Counseling Service in March of 2020. He had been their CEO for 18 years. He was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in January 2022.

He is survived by his wife, Cheryl Stone; son Jesse (Jeanette) Pfrimmer of Adel, IA; daughter Kahala (Andy) Fales of West Des Moines, IA; grandchildren Elin Fales, Edwin Fales, Grayson Pfrimmer, and Aria Pfrimmer; brother Gary (Barb) Pfrimmer of Boone, IA; sister Kay McDonough of Boone, IA; sister Linda (Kenny) Mentzer of Holstein, IA; brother-in-law Clark Stone (Pamela Peterson) of Paicines, CA; sister-in-law Ginger (Mike) Suiter of Pierre, SD; and sister-in-law Grace Curtis of Fort Pierre, SD, along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents Don and Blanche (Robinson) Pfrimmer; in-laws Tom and Gert (Clark) Stone; grandparents George and Loy (Hall) Pfrimmer and RB and Annie (Buck) Robinson; brothers-in-law Larry Curtis, Bob Curtis and Tom McDonough; and niece Stacy Pfrimmer Henderson,

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Boys & Girls Club of the Capital Area endowment at the South Dakota Community Foundation, PO Box 296, Pierre, SD 57501.

Feigum Funeral home has been entrusted with Helen’s arrangements. View feigumfh.com for details.

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