Mark Trechock

Funeral service for Mark Trechock, 78, of Dickinson, will be 1:00 pm, Thursday, July 3, 2025 at Stevenson Funeral Home in Dickinson.

Visitation for Mark will be 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson with a Prayer Service taking place at 6:00pm.

Mark passed away Saturday, June 28, 2025 at his home in Dickinson, ND.

Memorial can be made to the Dakota Resource Council, Daglum Lutheran Church, the Alzheimer's and Dementia Association, or a similar charity of your choice. 

The Livestream of Mark's Funeral Service can be viewed below starting 10 minutes before the service begins. 

Mark Alan Trechock was born on January 26, 1947, in Minneapolis, to Frank and Eleanor Trechock. His family lived with his 5 aunts and uncles who doted on him. Mark ran track and cross country at Central High School. He earned a BA from Augsburg College in 1969, where he was the editor of the college newspaper. He married college sweetheart Aimee Brynildson and they moved to New Jersey where he attended Princeton Theological Seminary. As a Lutheran pastor he served congregations in Wyndmere, ND, Owatonna, MN, and Denver, CO. In 1987, he was awarded a PhD from Iliff School of Theology. He and Aimee divorced but had two children, who he treasured and showered with love. In 1993, he moved to Dickinson, where he began work at Dakota Resource Council. The organization thrived under his leadership. While playing on the volleyball league in Dickinson, he met Janeen Nichols and after a brief courtship, a ten year hiatus and a reunion, they wed in a three-day celebration in 2007. Mark was a devoted husband to Janeen and loving father to her children, who he helped to raise as his own. Together they traveled, played games, and spent time with the community. They enjoyed 18 happy years together until he passed on June 28, 2025 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.

An accomplished poet, he had more than 200 poems published in journals and books. He was working to publish a book of his poems before he became ill. He loved writing and reading, hiking, studying languages, and playing games–especially Scrabble. If you ever played against him, you were sure to lose terribly! He spoke fluent Spanish and lived and traveled in Argentina and across Central and South America. Mark could often be found listening to the Spanish radio call while watching his favorite sport - baseball. He loved the Twins and enjoyed reading up on baseball trivia. He played golf when the weather would allow him and could be found identifying birds outside his window, walking his dogs Daisy and Patches, cooking delicious meals, and making silly faces and jokes.

Mark was a devoted father - showering his 5 children with unconditional love and understanding. He was always willing to read another book, play catch again, lend an ear to their troubles, and offer his support. He was a dedicated public servant, working for community justice and to ensure the prairie lands he loved were protected for coming generations. He threw himself into his work and judged his own success by how well his community thrived. He had a gift of speaking to anyone in a way that put them at ease and made them feel they were long-lost friends. He treasured his friends, staying connected with buddies from high school and college until recently.

Mark is survived by the love of his life, Janeen Nichols, and their three children, Lexie (and fiancee Travis), Chandler, and Nathan; his children Hannah Ring and Mary Trechock, their spouses Christopher Ring and Jonathan Geary, and his four grandchildren, Aidan and Molly Ring, and Stella and Amos Geary.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Eleanor Trechock; and in-laws, Derrold and Noel Nichols.