Lester Mack Wyckoff was born on September 23, 1936, in Cherry County, Nebraska, to Columbus McKinley (aka CM) and Clara Louise (Bryant) Wyckoff.

He passed away peacefully on December 2, 2024 at his home surrounded by his family. Following high school graduation, he was a ranch hand and drove semi, hauling dynamite in the mountains in Colorado. In 1962, Lester was drafted and proudly served his country in the U.S. Army. He was stationed primarily in Hawaii and worked as a radio operator. After serving, he enjoyed participating in the rodeo and was employed as a ranch hand, working his way to becoming an independent rancher.

While working as a ranch hand, shortly after he left the Army, he was introduced to Anna Mae Paxton. They were married on March 27, 1965, at the home of Kermit and Pauline Paxton, Anna Mae’s parents. In 1971, he moved his family to Barron, and purchased a dairy farm. Although he was a dairy farmer in Wisconsin, he brought his love for beef cattle and horses with him from Nebraska which remained a primary focus for him well after his retirement. He will likely be remembered for introducing the Pinzgauer breed of beef to this area.

Their marriage was blessed with three daughters; Paula, Opal, and Julie. Family was very important to him, and he truly cherished every minute spent with them. While he loved many of his roles throughout his life, he seemed to most love his titles of grandpa and great-grandpa. Lester was very actively involved in the 4-H program in Barron County. He and his wife, along with another couple, started the Country-Siders 4-H Club which continues to be a thriving club in Barron County. He also served as superintendent of the beef project in Barron County for many years. The 4-H program was always a passion for him and he and his wife were recognized for their many years of dedication by being chosen as the 4-H Family of the Year in 1993.

Lester leaves to celebrate his memory his wife, Anna Mae; daughters, Paula Platzek, Opal (Troy) Samson, and Julie Loftus; six grandchildren, Jacob (Cassie), Dane (Shayne), Haileigh (Joe), Kyra (Jess), Bree and Caden; eight great grandchildren, Bella, Aubree, Sofia, Blake, Huntleigh, Drake, Paxleigh and Adler. He was excited for the arrival of five more great-grands in early 2025.

Other surviving family including siblings, Mae Nelson, Shirley Fitch, Eugene Wyckoff and Dennis Wyckoff; as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family and close friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, CM and Clara Wyckoff; sisters, Maxine and Opal; brothers-in-law, Jay Fitch, Bruce Nelson and Don Hagemeyer.

Visitation will be at Rausch and Steel Funeral Home in Barron on Thursday December 5th from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm and one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday morning. A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church in Barron on Friday, December 6th at 11:00 am. Burial will be at 2:00 pm with Military Honors at Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spooner.

Last Update: Dec 03, 2024 1:29 pm CST