Sid Kittelson, 76, of rural Maribel, passed away at home on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, from natural causes, while tending to the cattle he loved so much. He was born the eldest of three children to Odin and Ellen (Prestrud) on October 5, 1946, in Clayton, Wisconsin. Sid spent his youth alongside his mother milking a herd of Guernsey cows by hand, hunting and logging with his father, and breaking challenging horses for resale. During his 12 years in the Clayton school system, he excelled in geometry and playing the trombone. Sid attended UW-Eau Claire, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration-Comprehensive Accounting. His folks dropped him off there, then proved Sid’s importance to their farm by buying a milk machine on their way home.
Following college graduation, Sid was drafted into the army with a draft number of 34, before Uncle Sam shipped him off to their base at Cam Rahn Bay, Vietnam, where he acted as a payroll clerk to in-country troops. Carrying a cash box that contained no cash, only military script, he rode up and down Highway 1, to the frontline-fire bases, with nothing more than a driver and one other soldier armed with a M16.
Even after graduating at the top of his Leadership Course, achieving the rank of E5, and spending 12 months in Vietnam, Sid returned home to experience the same disrespect given to so many returning soldiers at the time. Between the experiences he’d had in Vietnam, and the ones upon his return, he began to slide down the same path that so many returning Vietnam vets followed. Lucky for him, on a lark he got involved in dirt-track racing, a move that he would later credit with saving his life from ruin. Always a serious competitor, he raced at tracks in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Canada, and remained a loyal race fan until the time of his death.
With a degree in one hand and honorable discharge papers in the other, Sid’s first serious job after his stint in the army was with McCormick Trucking of Catawba, Wisconsin, where he was hired as their controller. Later, a neighbor of his folks told him about an opening for an accountant at F & A Dairy. Sid applied, was immediately hired, then in a very short time, was promoted to plant manager, launching his lifetime career in the dairy industry.
Years later, feeling like he had run out of challenges, he answered a cold call from a dairy recruiter telling him about an opening for a plant manager at the Branch Cheese plant in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Sid accepted, and spent the next 4 years there, rapidly upgrading the plant’s equipment and production levels, all the while garnering the respect of employees and executives alike.
Opportunity knocked again when Sid was offered the plant manager position at the International Cheese plant in Hinesburg, Vermont, the largest plant in the Stella Foods conglomerate at the time. The challenges he met and conquered there were a testament to Sid’s ability to deal with people in industry, regulation, and government. Once again he proved that he was as comfortable in the boardroom as he was in the barnyard. But after a while, he decided that bigger was not better for him, so he returned home to Wisconsin. There, he married Deb Klein, the love of his life, and the couple went on to enjoy an exceptional marriage.
For years, Sid worked with his wife on their farm near Maribel in their cattle operation, enjoying his time in outdoors and tinkering with machinery. Then one day, he noticed an ad in the local paper looking for a Dairy Inspector in Northeast Wisconsin. Sid applied, and the rest as they say, was history.
He entered the regulatory field with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture with an “educate as you regulate” attitude. He inspected farms, milk tankers, and dairy plants throughout the state, utilizing his education and experience with industry to become a firm, but fair inspector. At the age of 69, Sid tested for, and was granted, his Registered Sanitation (RS) license, another big challenge conquered. As his career with DATCP evolved, he began training new-hire inspectors, a position that he excelled at and really enjoyed. Sid continued working for DATCP with his slogan “I’ll retire at 92 or death, which ever comes first,” proving that if you love what you do, you’ll never have to “work” another day in your life.
Truly a Renaissance Man, in addition to his career, the farm, and his devotion to racing, Sid was an avid reader of mysteries, enjoyed hunting, and loved to spend time alone in the woods. He loved music, dancing, travel, good conspiracy theories, and got absolutely giddy when trying new cuisines. He will be sadly missed by his wife, friends, racing buddies, and the dairy industry that he had devoted so much of his life to.
A Celebration of Life in Sid’s honor will be held at a future date.
The Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Reinbold & Pfeffer of Kellnersville is assisting the family. Online condolences may be expressed by visiting www.lakeshorefamilyfuneralhomes.com