Dennis Mark Cress

Dennis Mark Cress, age 61, of Hammond, passed away peacefully at home with his family on June 7, 2025, after a courageous battle with brain cancer that began on March 29, 2025. Dennis was born on November 2, 1963, at the Amery Hospital in Amery, Wisconsin to James and Sandra Cress.

Dennis grew up near Forest, Wisconsin, first attending elementary school in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, moving to the Glenwood City School District in second grade, and graduating with the Class of 1982. He loved sports and played basketball, football and baseball. His claim to fame was scoring 41 points in a basketball game his senior year in high school, shooting mostly 20 foot shots, back when they were only worth 2 points. He was also “The Pitcher”, who dominated unlimited arc slow pitch softball for many years.

He attended UW-River Falls for 2 years following high school, and became a basketball official, an avid bowler and ping-pong player. Dennis was a summer employee at Andersen Windows in Bayport, Minnesota, for 2 years, and was hired permanently in March, 1986. He was very proud of his career at Andersen’s, retiring in August, 2021. He formed many life-long friendships, and everywhere he went he seemed to run into someone he knew from Andersen’s. After retiring, he mowed lawns for Fern’s Lawn Care and recently he was working for Valley View Window Treatments installing Hunter Douglas blinds at the time of onset of his illness.

Dennis was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Catholic Church, Clear Lake, Wisconsin. He married his high school sweetheart, Lori Ross, on September 24, 1988, and they have made their home in Hammond, Wisconsin, ever since, where they raised their children, Kyle and Kalli.

Dennis spent countless years with Kyle and Kalli practicing sports, playing and coaching basketball, baseball and softball. He loved coaching their teams and made every team member feel important, teaching many life lessons and mentoring along the way. He also enjoyed taking Kyle and Kalli fishing and hunting. Deer hunting, November 2024, was most special to him as both Kyle and Kalli were able to hunt with him at our land for the very first time, and 3 deer were harvested on opening day.

Dennis loved to work with his hands building windows, constructing hunting stands, planting trees or gardens, fixing anything and everything he could get his hands on. He took a lot of pride in how long he has kept his vehicles, boat and 4-wheeler running well. A task was never too large for him to try or accomplish, especially once he discovered Youtube.

Dennis loved to laugh and make others laugh. He was a storyteller and loved telling stories and jokes to anyone who would listen, as well as sharing good hunting and fishing stories, without giving out his secret spots. Dennis had a love for music, especially rock music, and would find songs of many genres to share with his family as loudly as he could, claiming “It will just take 5 minutes...”

From an early age Dennis loved the outdoors. He enjoyed being in nature, fishing, hunting, working on his hunting land and at the family cabin, and mowing/maintaining his lawn and yard. He enjoyed the peace of nature while being out on his boat or in his tree stand. He further loved watching and coaching sports and following his favorite teams.

Dennis’ family meant the world to him, and especially his little granddaughter, Celeste, who brought out the very best in him and especially brightened his days during his illness.

Dennis will forever remain in the hearts of his wife Lori, son Kyle (Kylie) Cress, daughter Kalli Cress (Tyler Plitzner), and granddaughter Celeste Cress. He is further survived by his parents James and Sandra Cress; siblings Janelle (Dave) Frieburg, Bryan (Andrea) Cress and Brad Cress; brothers/sisters-in-law Patrick Crimmings (Thomas Wilson), Thomas (MaryAnn) Ross, Robert (Susan) Ross, William Ross, Jean Rose, Joan Ross, Judith (John) Ganong, James (Terri) Ross, as well as many nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins.

Dennis was welcomed into Heaven by his baby grandchild, grandparents James and Harriet Buhr and James and Wilma Cress, his parents-in-law James and Lorraine Ross, brother-in-law Robert Rose, and uncles Carl Cress and Jerry Cress.

Visitation will be June 11 from 3-7 pm at O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 1010 Newton Street, Baldwin, WI. Funeral will be June 12 at 12:00 pm at O’Connell Family Funeral Home, visitation one hour prior, officiant Pastor Dave Campbell. Burial will be at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery, Glenwood City, Wisconsin. Funeral services entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home of Baldwin.