Henry Mathew Denton

Henry Mathew Denton was born September 21, 1910 to William Smith Denton and Louise Yorba Denton, in San Diego California. Henry was the 8th of 13 children. He passed away on Friday, March 4th, 2011. Henry was proud to be a salesman and he showed it at an early age. He sold newspapers on a corner at age 7, ran a pool hall in Tijuana in his late teens, ran a bakery route in San Diego, and with his brother Bill sold hay to the race track in Tijuana. With the help of his father and a local judge Henry was the proud possessor of a valid California driver's license at age 12. During World War II Henry worked building the B-26 bomber at Convair in San Diego. Immediately after the war he made a living driving sailors home to points east from San Diego, returning to California with items to sell which were scarce there due to the war effort. Henry loved to hunt quail on the family ranch at Jacumba, Mexico as well as duck hunting on Mission Bay in San Diego. There are many pictures of fish that were caught in the Pacific. Later in his life Henry loved to hunt deer near Virginia Dale. In 1945 Henry met and married Frances Toliver. They made Fort Collins their permanent Home in 1948. Their marriage produced four children. They were divorced in 1963. In 1964 Henry met and married Florence Gardner.
Henry took a job at Toliver-Kinney Hardware in Fort Collins when he and his first wife moved here in 1948. He was employed there for 28 years selling among other things televisions and chain saws. Decades before cable or satellite dishes, Henry made many TV installations in the Livermore, Virginia Dale and Walden areas. He would use an antenna on a pole and a battery powered TV and search for a signal by foot, car or horseback. After leaving Toliver's in 1976 Henry started Henry's TV which he ran until he retired at 82. During his years in Fort Collins Henry may have sold a television to just about everyone in town. He did this with humor, grace and warmth. Henry never met a person he didn't like and it showed in the way he treated his customers and the genuine affection his customers had for him His family and those who knew him will miss him very much. Henry was preceded in death by his parents and an infant daughter Vernay. Henry is survived by his wife Florence, a brother Jimllarose of Portland, OR, two daughters and a son, Tollie Prall Jim of Tulsa, OK, Carl Barbara of Fort Collins, Nancy Blaylock Bill of Hot Springs, AR and a step-son Dennis Gardner Barb of Fort Collins. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren and extended family in California. A funeral service will be held, Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. at Bohlender Funeral Chapel. The interment will follow at Grandview Cemetery. Those who desire may view Henry, Tuesday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Bohlender Funeral Chapel. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Pathways Hospice in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Ft. Collins, CO 80524.