Dennis Behling

Dennis Behling
CASTLE DALE- Dennis Clair Behling, age 75, passed away August, 13, 2024 at his home. Dennis was born November 5, 1948 in Dragerton, Utah to Clair H. and Irene Madge Christensen Behling. He lived in Dragerton for a few years until his family moved to Columbia, Utah where he grew up. He was the oldest of five children, three sisters and one brother. He has returned home to heaven to have a reunion with his parents and his brother whom he has been missing so much lately.
He met his sweetheart during his senior year of high school. He had joined the Marine Corps earlier to beat being drafted. So, after graduation, he left for San Diego. When he graduated from boot camp, he returned home and married his sweetheart, Sandra Sue Swasey on September 7, 1968 in Dragerton. In December just after Christmas, he had to leave his new bride to go overseas to Okinawa, Japan for a year.
Upon returning home, he was next stationed in Yuma, Arizona where they spent the rest of his military duty and where their first son was born. After he was honorably discharged, the family moved back and made a home in Price, Utah. Where he worked for Price City for a short time. He was then hired on at the Horse Canyon Mine, so he moved his family again to Columbia and then later to Dragerton. He was trained by and got on the crew of "Frosty" Alden Swasey, his father-in-law, where he worked until 1976 when rumors began to stir that the Horse Canyon Mine could be closing.
He was then hired on at the Peabody Mine (which has changed names several times and is now known as Energy West). He worked at the Wilberg Mine at that time, but his family wasn't ready to move to Emery County with him. His first son was in school, and they were caring for their three-year-old daughter with another baby on the way. So, he went on ahead and the family stayed in Carbon County until they could get their mobile home moved on to a family plot of land in Huntington, Utah. On that plot was an old log cabin that his great-grandfather Johansen had built. So, he lived in that cabin for quite a while without electricity or running water. He got the nickname at the mine of Pepe Le Pew because of a family of skunks that moved in under that cabin. He eventually got rid of them but not soon enough.
While at the mine, he worked as an underground diesel mechanic then later he went outside as a bath house man and finally became a loader operator. He loved moving the coal pile around with his "Cat." He had several scary moments moving piles of coal to the feeder. He worked at Wilberg until the mine completely closed down. He was one of the last three people there.
Dennis retired from the mine and went to truck driving school and received his CDL, after which he got a job as a long-haul truck driver and did so for several years. His wife and a couple of his sons worked as a millwright, and they were looking for a millwright that had a CDL. His wife knew he was getting tired of long hauls so she talked to the boss and he got hired on to work alongside his family. He worked, sometimes hand in hand, with his wife. He retired again about eight years later. He then went all out with his many hobbies. He was a mountain man for a few years and made his own leather mountain man clothes with leather he tanned himself and hand decorated it with a fox tail and a snake hat band. He won the title one year at the Mountain Man Rendezvous as the "Ugliest Man in Carbon and Emery Counties." He also enjoyed stockcar racing. He made several cars, mostly out of GTOs. The first 3-4 years he was found working on his car every week to get it ready to race the next weekend. He won numerous trophies during this time, some for first place in heat and some in the mains. He even got a couple of rollover trophies. He quit racing for a few years, then his oldest son stared racing – then it got in his blood again, along with his wife and another son. They were soon racing three cars, a 54D, a 54C, and 54B.
Dennis also got pretty heavy into gold panning and metal detecting for a few years. He never did find much gold, but he had fun trying. He also loved golfing. He and a friend of his wife's would golf different courses across Utah.
He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He didn't actively go to church, but he always had a strong faith.
Dennis is preceded in death by his parents, Clair and Madge Behling; his only brother, Scott; his father-in-law, Alden Swasey "Frosty;" mother-in-law, Afton Haws Swasey, both of whom he regarded as parents; a daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, and his very best friend, Dee Fillmore.
The last few years, you could either find him watching golf, hunting, or stock car racing on the television. He was a very good man and friend. He would help anyone in need and do whatever he could to lend a helping hand.
Dennis is survived by his loving wife, Sandra; his children, Christopher (Jodi) Behling, Connie Behling Otterstrom, Jeremy Behling, Jonathan Behling, Michael (Sheena) Behling, Matthew (Tasha) Behling; sisters, JoLynn Steele, Vynette (Kevin) Willbur, and Gina (Kent) Jones; 22 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and one more on the way.
Funeral service Monday, August 26, 2024, 11:00 a.m., at the Castle Dale Stake Center where the family will receive friends Sunday evening from 5:00-7:00 p.m. and Monday morning one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow in the Castle Dale City Cemetery.
Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home of Price and Huntington where friends and family are always welcome daily and may share memories of Dennis online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.