CAPTAIN DENNIS RAY "DENNY" TRONE

VeteranDennis Trone

Capt. Dennis TroneCaptain Dennis Ray “Denny” Trone, 77, of Petersburg was pronounced dead at 6:07 p.m. May 5, 2008, in Spring Grove Township, Green County, near Brodhead, Wisc.

He was born July 18, 1930, in Rushville, a son of Doane and Mabel Ray Trone. He married Elizabeth Fiala on June 5, 1954, in Annapolis, Md. She survives.

Also surviving are four daughters, Janet Trone of Mojave, Calif., Lisa (and Dennis) Ideue of Fullerton, Calif., Amanda (and Paul) Serra of Latrobe, Pa., and Sophia Trone of Los Angeles, Calif.; one son, Robert (and Nancy) Trone of Lakeville, Minn.; and four grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert E. Lee “Moon” Trone and D. Kent Trone.

He graduated in 1954 from the United States Naval Academy. Later, he completed Naval Postgraduate School and had a nine-year career before resigning from the Navy.

Denny and his brother Robert bought a half interest in the Dubuque Boat and Boiler Co. Over a 10-year period, many boats were built including the riverboat Talisman and steamboat Julia Belle Swain. They ran the boat business out of Peoria, but would often lead the lives of gypsies, tramping up and down the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Illinois rivers. After the excursion boat Twilight was built, the business moved to Galena.

In 2006, Denny sold the boat business to employees Kevin and Carrie Stier. He then restored and flew airplanes.

Services were held Saturday at Worthington Funeral Home in Rushville with Rev. Wayne Meyer officiating. Burial was in Rushville City Cemetery with military services conducted by a U.S. Navy Honor Guard and Schuyler American Legion Post #4.

Memorials may be made to the donor’s choice.

 

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 5/14/2008