Denneth Kurtzbein

Denneth William Kurtzbein, age 80 of Montevideo, passed away on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at the Clara City Care Center.

Memorial services will be held Monday, May 10, 2021 at 10:30 AM at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Pastor Kent Borglum officiating.  Services will be filmed and available on Denneth’s obituary page on Tuesday.

Visitation will be held, Sunday, May 9, 2021 from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM at St. John’s Lutheran Church and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Monday.  Masks and social distancing will be required at both the service and visitation.

Denneth was born near Montevideo on Dec. 20, 1940, to Herman and Lydia (Weckwerth) Kurtzbein. He was the youngest of four siblings, which included brothers Donald and Duaine, and sister Delores. Denneth grew up and lived his entire life at the Kurtzbein family farm northeast of Montevideo, and he attended school through the eighth grade at District 7 country school.

In 1960, Denneth joined the National Guard and received his honorable discharge from the guard in 1966. While a member of the guard, Denneth continued to help out on the family farm.

In 1970, Denneth met his future wife, Patty Nelson, of Milan, while on a snowmobiling trip to the Park Rapids area. The couple began dating and were married on April 10, 1971. They then purchased a mobile home and moved it to the Kurtzbein family farm. In 1973, the young couple built a home on the farm site.

Denneth was a founding member of the Minnesota Valley Antique Farm Power and Machinery Association, and the organization’s annual threshing show was held for a number of years at the Kurtzbein farm. Denneth and Patty continued to be involved with the club throughout the ensuing years.

In addition to farming, Denneth’s interest and passion for preserving farm life led him and Patty to begin restoring antique tractors and farm machinery, not only for themselves, but for others as well. The quality of their restoration work became widely known, and in the 1990s, what began as a hobby had become a full-time business for them. Denneth was also instrumental in starting an antique tractor pull organization, and he and Patty participated in numerous tractor pulls over the course of many years. Together, they also enjoyed traveling to many threshing shows across the region to show off their restored tractors, which included the lines of Allis Chalmers, John Deere, and Minneapolis Moline.

Denneth had a special place in his heart for the many dogs and cats that found a home at the Kurtzbein farm throughout the years.

Denneth is survived by his wife of 50 years, Patty, his brother Duaine Kurtzbein and sister-in-law Mary Lou, sister-in-law Carol Kurtzbein, brother-in-law Norman Milbrandt, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Lydia, brother Donald, and sister Delores.