Denny Lee Finken, 70 of Scottsbluff, Nebraska passed away Thursday, June 15, 2023 at his home.
Denny Lee Finken was born in October of 1952 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He grew up in Beebeetown as the firstborn child of Shirley Dale Finken and Lynn Charles Finken. He had two younger siblings, Deb and Dave.
Denny’s childhood days were filled with responsibilities of working on the farm feeding cattle and pigs, baling hay, planting corn and soybeans, and combining at harvest. As any farmer knows, the days start early, but in the Finken household, you never wanted Lynn Finken to have to wake you up twice! Denny’s lifelong entrepreneurial spirit was also uncovered when he acquired a baler of his own and took pride in running a business for the first time. When he was not working in the fields, Denny was wrestling, playing football, or playing pitch with family and friends. He was the Class A Iowa State Wrestling Champion in the 138 pound weight class his senior year in high school and was a lifelong fan of the sport.
Denny graduated from Tri-Center High School at Neola in 1971 and then attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln on a wrestling scholarship. After college, he moved to western Nebraska and married his first wife, Christy Searing, with whom he had two children, Aaron and Lindsey. They later divorced in 1989.
In September 1992, Denny married his bride of the past 30 years, Mary Ann Fullerton. With this, the family grew by three, now five total kids. Denny brought into his life Bradon, Nathan, and Anee Fullerton, whom he was proud to call his own. Nothing made Denny and Mary Ann happier and more proud than raising their five children together and attending countless sporting competitions for the next 10 years. Throughout their marriage, they loved hosting friends for delicious homemade meals and Husker game watching parties, or traveling the country together to see new places and visit family and friends.
Denny initially worked in industrial chemical sales before transitioning to a career as a financial advisor. He eventually started Finken Financial Services. He was passionate about educating people to become more financially literate and supporting them in reaching their long-term financial goals. More than just a trusted advisor, he was a friend and confidant to hundreds of clients over the past three decades.
Denny was passionate about many things in his life. He was devoted to his faith in Jesus Christ. He loved meeting new people and had a way of making new acquaintances feel like lifelong friends. There was no one prouder of his kids and grandkids, and he took every opportunity to brag to others about them! He appreciated perfectly straight lines in a freshly mowed lawn, pulling off a great surprise, blaring music on full volume in his red truck, accumulating as much flamingo décor as Mary Ann would let him have, as well as finding endless ways to use duct tape.
And, of course, there was his devotion to his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nothing made Denny happier than finding a dive bar with the coldest beer (and no foam!) and watching one of the Husker teams. He was a fervent supporter of not just the football team but also volleyball, baseball, basketball and wrestling. In the absence of a Husker game, he was happiest in the sunroom playing pitch or in the back yard playing Chinese horseshoes with Mary Ann, family, and friends.
Denny was one-of-a-kind and has left an indelible mark on our lives. He was a great husband, dad, son, brother, grandpa, uncle, mentor, and friend, and we will forever miss him. Denny is preceded in death by his father, Lynn Finken. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Finken, his mother, Shirley Finken, sister, Deb Heim (Keith), brother, Dave Finken (Jan), his five children: Bradon Fullerton, Nathan Fullerton (Lindsey), Aaron Finken (Rachel), Anee Fullerton, Lindsey Dickson (Andrew), and his nine precious grandchildren: Kaleb and Jaxson Fullerton, Gracyn, Beckett, and Ledger Fullerton, Noah and Colette Finken, and Ryan and Perry Dickson.
The visitation will be Wednesday, June 21st at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Home (3201 Ave B) in Scottsbluff from 5:00-7:00pm. The family has requested Husker attire at the visitation. The funeral will be held at Monument Bible Church in Scottsbluff (4124 Ave I) at 10:00am. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery (4109 5th Ave) and then a lunch will be held at the church following the burial. Memorials can be given to the family to be designated at a later date. Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.dugankramer.com.