Dennis B. Kipp

Dennis “Denny” Bernard Kipp, age 77, of North Mankato, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 1, 2026, surrounded by his loving family at Mayo Clinic Health System – Mankato.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., January 23, 2026, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in North Mankato, with Pastor LeRoy LaPlant officiating. A military honors ceremony will be held immediately after the service at the church. Interment will be in Woodland Hills Memorial Park at 2 p.m. that afternoon. Visitation will be 9-11 a.m. on January 23, at the church. Northview – North Mankato Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Denny was born on December 2, 1948, to Gerald and Ethel (Roberts) Kipp. He was a 1966 graduate of Waldorf-Pemberton High School. He was united in marriage to Ginger Groskreutz on July 11, 1970, at First Lutheran Church in Waldorf, MN.

After high school, Denny was drafted into the United States Army and served in Vietnam from March, 1969 to March, 1970. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal on January 26, 1970. Denny was honorably discharged from the armed forces on May 1, 1974, with a rank of Specialist Five. He was a long-time member of the VFW Post 950 in Mankato having served as its Commander. Denny was selected as the National Aide-de-Camp to the VFW National Commander-in-Chief on December 14, 1982.

Denny was a long-time employee of Midwest Electric in Mankato until his retirement. Denny was an avid hunter and fisherman. He also enjoyed golf, softball, nature photography, collecting coins, making birdhouses for his grandchildren and spending time on vacations and fishing trips with his family. Denny made a significant impact on the Mankato and Minnesota wrestling communities. He was a long-time leader of the Mankato Area Wrestling Club and was one of the top mat officials in Minnesota for many years. He was selected as Mat Official of the Year in Minnesota in 1990 and 2006.

Denny is survived by son, Justin (Jennifer) Kipp of Eagan; daughter, Nicole (Mike) Larson of Mankato; six grandchildren, Elizabeth Petersen, Chayce Petersen, Kaiah Larson, Noah Kipp, Emma Kipp and Owen Kipp; one great-granddaughter, Jahshara O’Neal; two brothers, Jerry (Rosie) Kipp of Northfield and Jim Kipp of Mankato; three sisters, Shirley Vogelsang of Mapleton, Jan (Marty) Tesch of Waldorf, and Jeanne Kipp of Waseca; also many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, Milton and Marie Groskreutz; brothers, Larry and Bob Kipp; and sisters, Sandy Kipp and Sharon Hanel.