Denny Howland

Dennis Arthur Howland, Denny to most, age 69, of Winner, South Dakota, died of heart failure at the Winner Regional Healthcare Center and entered his forever home early Tuesday morning, June 27, 2017. Dennis was born Dec. 22, 1947, in Littleton, New Hampshire, the second child of Arthur (John) Perley Howland and Vivian (Haynes) Howland.
    The family moved back to Holyoke on his second birthday and remained through his school years. Denny graduated from Holyoke High School and went on to Colorado State University, graduating with a degree in animal science. Upon graduation, he entered the Army and was stationed in Virginia. He was honorably discharged in 1972.
    He started his career in the animal feed industry, working in Kansas and Washington and ending up in Winner, where he remained. During this time, his first marriage ended in divorce, but to this union a daughter was born: Melanie Gwen. In 1981 he met Donna Faubion, and they were married Oct. 23, 1982.
    Denny loved his work with animals, making sure they had “just the right ration” to try to get the results the producer was looking for. As a change of pace, he became a Hiland Potato Chip routeman for a time. He did go back into the feed industry, but all the “small” producers were giving in to big operations and it just wasn’t the same.
    Working for the co-op, he helped with chemical and fertilizer application. This is where he kind of stumbled onto the business he started. In 2002 he quit his job and purchased his first sprayer, truck and trailer. H & P Partnership was started. Working from the backyard of their home and a rented warehouse, he and Donna grew the business.
    In 2005 Denny and Donna purchased the partnership and became Howland Custom Application. They purchased land to put up a building to work out of, housing the chemicals and storing equipment during the off-season, all the while making sure his customers were taken care of in a timely and efficient manner.
    As he got older, he found he didn’t want to be in the sprayer from dawn to dark and wanted to move into the dry fertilizer business. The first building, along with the truck, trailer and sprayer, was sold to Covey Custom Application, and a second building was put up behind the first, along with a dry fertilizer handling system. The season’s work wasn’t quite as time-sensitive as before. As much as he loved watching the animals grow from babies to maturity, he also loved to watch a field of planted seeds turn into thriving crop come harvest.
    He wasn’t a real “hobby” person, but did like to water ski when given the chance, golf, bowl and snow ski. Prior to starting the business, Denny and Donna would take part in the state couples golf tournament during the summers. They were never big winners but had fun. In his younger years, after moving to Winner, he was a part of the A & W ball team.
    When the grandkids came along, he wanted them to learn to like snow skiing like he did. So he started them on the slopes at an early age and looked forward to going between Christmas and New Year’s for a visit and a couple days on skis.
    Denny was a member and past president of the former local Jaycee chapter of Winner in the late ’70s. Growing up, with his mother being one of 13 children, there was a card game going whenever any of them gathered — didn’t have to ask twice if he wanted to “shuffle a few,” as his uncles always put it.
    Denny had an infectious laugh that could not be hidden. If someone stood still for a moment and listened closely, that laugh would lead right to where he was. As he entered his forever home, everybody there knew he was coming, and relatives gone before him said, “He’s here, get ready for a card game.”
     Denny will be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather, and hopefully as a caring, concerned business owner to all of the customers he had over the years.
    Denny is survived by his wife of 34 years, Donna; daughter, Gwen Richards and husband John of Butte, Montana; grandchildren, Cody and Samantha Richards of Butte; great-grandchildren, Brentlee and Brystol Richards of Butte; sister, Patty Garwatoski of Columbus, Ohio; brother-in-law, Rick Faubion and wife Diane of Winner; and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
    He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Viv; sister, Connie; brother, Allen; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Dick and Dorothy Faubion; and uncles, aunts and cousins.
    The funeral service was held July 3 at the United Methodist Church in Winner. Burial followed at the Winner City Cemetery.