Virginia Mae Dehnert, 76, passed away Thursday, July 1, 2021 at Monument Health Hospital in Spearfish, SD.

Ginny was born on July 6, 1944 in Lakota, North Dakota to Russell and Alyce (Pesek) Paul.  She and her five siblings grew up in the Grand Forks area until the family moved to the Black Hills when she was in the sixth grade.  Ginny graduated from Lead High School in 1962 and went on to further her education at Northern State College in Aberdeen. She graduated with a BA in Education in 1966.

While attending college, Ginny met Maynard Keith Dehnert Jr., and the two were married on February 5, 1966 in Lead, SD. Keith and Ginny were blessed with their daughter, Kim in 1973 and their son, Brian in 1975.  Shortly after their son was born, the young family moved to Ipswich where they would spend the next nine years.  In 1984, the family relocated to Huron.  Keith and Ginny stayed in Huron until moving to Spearfish in 2013.  After Keith's passing in 2015, Ginny stayed in Spearfish until just a few years ago when she moved to Belle Fourche with her daughter and son-in-law.

Ginny was a school teacher who taught in several different places, but one of her favorite teaching jobs was when she taught fourth through eighth grade at a Hutterite Colony. After many years in the classroom, Ginny retired in 2006.  She was a proud member of PEO and the Sons of Norway. Ginny was an avid reader who loved a good card game, playing Bunco, doing arts and crafts, or simply feeding and watching the birds and wildlife in her yard.  But she most cherished the time she was able to spend with her family, especially her grandchildren. Together, a lot of wonderful memories were made.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Maynard Keith Dehnert Jr.; parents, Russell and Alyce; paternal grandparents, Henry and Helen Paul; and maternal grandparents, Joseph and Mary Pesek.

Grateful for having shared her life are her daughter, Kim (Troy) McKenney; son, Brian (Jennifer)Dehnert; brothers, Chuck Paul, Allan Paul, and Glenn Paul; sisters, Mary Nygaard and Joy Petroff; grandchildren, Gloria, Nathan, Isaac, Andrew, Thad, and Simon McKenney and Gavin Dehnert.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at Black Hills Funeral Home.  Funeral Services will be at 10:00 am on Thursday, July 8, 2021 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Spearfish.