Daniel Kennedy

Dan was such a good mentor/role model for me and I know he was for numerous others as well! He was a huge impact in my life for many years and the stories that I have of him are numerous! I started working for him when I was 14 and we spent numerous weekends in the Pryor mountains exploring around his favorite spots. We took mattresses and utensils up to the “dome cabin” and enjoyed it a lot. It is now collapsed, but the memories are still there. We used to liquidate Holliday Inn’s and the Norwest banks, take EVERYTHING from the rooms and resell them for D’s. It was a lot of work and Dan was right there with us, there was no task that he wasn’t involved in! He was always the first to get his hands dirty and do the heavy lifting. I admired that! We also spent numerous trips to furniture market in High Point, North Carolina, and also Las Vegas once it moved there. He was so fun to be around and everybody would gather around us because of him! One of the times we went to Furniture market in Tupelo, Mississippi It happened to be the 25th anniversary of Elvis‘s death and him and I had a great time on Beale Street. There were impersonators all over and we got to watch the show together, even going into BB King’s House of blues. It was great and he was having a blast! When he bought the Heights home center, which had Ashley Furniture, Pierce Flooring and Mattress King in it, he let me pick out all the furniture for the upstairs penthouse that I was going to be living in, it was a great experience as a kid! We used to snow plow for all of Dan‘s accounts which included the Norwest Banks, AAA, and numerous other ones. I can go into further details of when Rob used to help us with that for Dan. Dan really loved Rob and was trying to help him out, there are some funny stories! Dan loved Akita’s and at one point I think we had about five of them down at D’s at the same time, Otis, who was the biggest male weighing in at about 165 pounds used to escape and go down to, I believe it was County Market at the time to get snacks from people coming out of the store lol. He would always close down for Christmas all the way up until New Year’s and there were about four years where we would spend it up in Cook City or West Yellowstone snowmobiling. Kip Harvey, do you remember, “Papa needs a new tooth!” Lol that was fun. Dan and I spent numerous trips going up Hell Roaring Valley and one in particular had lasting memories of three bull elk coming up into our camp, meanwhile, I tell you, we backpacked in to the other side of Hellroaring, and we had the akitas with us and they were woofing at the Elk coming up. That is the only time that I have ever seen elk up that high. We were at like 10,000 feet. Dan and I went back to Arcadia, Wisconsin because he had some frustrations with Ashley corporate, him, Ron Wanek and Ron’s son Todd and I were in the meeting, Dan was frustrated and fired up and Ron slapped him on the face in front of me and said, “if you chase two many rabbits, you won’t catch one!” To sum this up, Dan was my mentor, my big brother and kind of like a father figure to me. He was always there for me and I was always there for him. He married my wife and I because I didn’t want anybody else. Dan was the most spiritual, and accepting person that I have ever met! We got to share so many memories and did so many camping trips together, hunting trips and just get to be guys together. He taught me so many things and I loved him like my own father/big brother. Dan I am surely going to miss you and all of the time that we got to spend together. I love you, my brother! The stories I could actually write a book on. He put himself into so many peoples lives just so that he could help them. What an example for the human race. Everybody needs to gleam a little piece off of Dan and make this world a better place! Until I see you again

Wow… I am in shock to hear about Danny… condolences and prayers to the whole family. Besel’s-Jason/Erika and the girls.

Rest in Peace Dan! Thank you for all the good laughs and time we spent together. You will be dearly missed. We Love You!

Rest easy Dan. We love and miss you.

We are so sorry to hear of the loss of your father, Bailey and Logan. You will be very missed, Dan. Rest in peace... Mike and Kathy Manders family