LEON - Michael J. Linnehan, age 77, of Leon, Wisconsin, passed away August 10, 2022, at Mayo Hospital in La Crosse, WI. He was born March 28, 1945, to Winnie and Ruby (Hendersin) Linnehan of Lyons Valley. His first marriage was to Nyla Gilbertson; together they had four children. They later divorced. On February 8, 1992, he wed his sweatheart Ann Haas and also embraced her three daughters.
Mike knew from a young age that he would spend his life farming. He started with a portion of the Linnehan farm in Leon and purchased additonal farms over the years. He was always looking to expand and better the operation. Mike was known for raising excellent crops and enhancing each farm. His innovative no-till farming practices landed him in publications including Wisconsin Agriculturist, Farm Journal and No-Till Farmer. At one point, Mike farmed over 3,000 acres of crop land, raised cattle, and provided custom harvesting services. Mike truly enjoyed operating the combine each fall.
When he wasn’t farming, Mike could be found at numerous tractor pulls both locally and throughout the Midwest. He started competing on farm tractors as a teenager. Later, he had success in the super stock class and drove to a number one finish at Tomah in 1977. Following that, Mike built and ran “The Eliminator” pulling sled for 13 years. In the early ‘90s, he returned to the track as a competitor on his John Deere “Green Power” tractor with Ann by his side as crew chief. For nearly 30 years, they enjoyed many successful seasons pulling together with organizations including Tri-State Pullers, NTPA and most recently Badger State Tractor Pullers. Notable highlights include: 2003 Louisville, KY National Farm Machinery Show Super Farm Champion, 2003 and 2004 Bowling Green, OH top 3 finisher, multiple NTPA regional point championships and Badger State Tractor Pullers Hall of Fame inductee. Mike enjoyed the thrill, camaraderie and competitive spirit of tractor pulling.
Mike was a self-taught master fabricator and accomplished mechanic. He built and modified countless pieces of equipment using only the blueprints in his head. He was the highly sought neighborhood go-to guy for repairing all types of farm machinery. Mike enjoyed visiting with customers and friends who would stop by the shop. He will be dearly missed by many.
He is survived by his wife, Ann, his children, Diane (Michael) Kriewald, Lisa (Mike) Oltman, April Linnehan (Tyler Grosch), Michael W. (Desiree) Linnehan, Ann’s children, Silke (Travis) Ford, Becky (David) Wacker, Ashley (Collin) Clausius, grandchildren, Jared Schmitz, Alexandra (Daniel) Veglahn, Ivy King, Jenna King (Jacob Berg), Ethan and Emily Parker, Saleen and Shelby Ford, Layna and Esden Wacker, great grandchildren, Violet and Quinton Veglahn, Carter Berg, a sister, Jeri Burton, a sister-in-law, Sharon Linnehan, a brother-in-law, Paul Paden, “adopted” son Jerry Schmitz, who helps keep the operation running smoothly, and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Winnie and Ruby, his brothers, Bruce and Dan Linnehan, a sister, Pat Paden, and a brother-in-law, Richard Burton.
A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, August 21, 2022, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Torkelson Funeral Home in Tomah. Online condolences are available at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.
Torkelson Funeral Home
