Dennis Zehr
Kansas City - Dennis Jay Zehr, age 67,
passed away on July 9, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Dennis was born in Newton, KS on
October 14, 1953 to Elmer and Violet (Bender) Zehr. Dennis grew up in
Hesston, Kansas along with four brothers and two sisters. He
graduated from Hesston elementary and high school.
Dennis played basketball and football
in high school and was a trumpet player in the high school band. He
started working part-time at the Hesston Colonial House during high
school. This is where Dennis discovered his love of cooking.
After graduation, Dennis married Jo
Ellen Wenz. Dennis and Jo moved to Hyde Park, New York where Dennis
attended the Culinary Institute of America. Dennis graduated in 1974
with high honors and the cordon bleu award. In 1988, he attended the
Thai Cooking School in Bangkok, Thailand.
Dennis was employed at hotels in Kansas
and Seattle prior to before moving back to Hesston, KS where he
operated the Hesston Colonial House for a number of years. He also
owned and operated the Old Mill Restaurant and Wine Bar in Newton,
Kansas. The restaurant specialized in New American, French, and Asian
cooking and was a 3 star restaurant. Dennis was named to the 1989-90
national registry by the Chef's National Registry in San Francisco,
CA. Holidays at the restaurants meant delicious buffets and Dennis's
renowned ice carvings. Dennis also was named the Restaurateur of the
Year in 1982 by the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association.
A memorial service will be held on
August 6, 2021 at 2:00 pm at Amos Funeral Home, Shawnee, KS.
Memorials may be sent to Kansas Food Bank in care of Amos Funeral
Home, 10901 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS 66203. Kansas Food Bank provides
food for food-insecure families across the state of Kansas.
