John M. Dalton

John M. Dalton, 80, Hartland, WI, loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend passed peacefully Tuesday, July 16, 2024. John was born July 22, 1943 in Oconomowoc, WI to Mervin and Lorraine (nee Fleming) Dalton. Survived by his wife of 51 years Roberta (Bobbi) nee Fetherston, sons Tim Dalton (Kristy), Randy Richert (Andrea), and Nick Tetzlaff (Sarah) who was like a son, sister Peggy Harris (Phil), grandchildren Jessica, Shelby, and Finnegan, many nieces and nephews, and innumerable friends. He is preceded in death by his parents and brothers Don and Tom.

John moved to North Lake when he was 6 when his parents bought a farm that had originally been homesteaded by Lorraine’s grandfather. He was always an avid learner, joking about being the Valedictorian of Tamarak Tech (the one room schoolhouse on the corner of Hwy 83 and CW). He graduated from Arrowhead High School in Hartland, WI in 1962 and earned his B.S. in Agriculture/Dairy Science from the University of Wisconsin in 1966.

John joined the Wisconsin National Guard after high school, serving throughout his time in college, before volunteering for active duty during the Vietnam Conflict. He was sent to Vietnam as a Staff Sergeant with the replacements for Hamburger Hill. During his two tours (1969-1970) he fought at multiple hotspots in the A Shau Valley to include Firebase Granite, Fire Support Base Kathryn, and finally he volunteered to go assist his sister Battalion at the infamous Firebase Ripcord, which was attacked for 23 days by two divisions of North Vietnamese Regular Army. Unfortunately, it was during this battle that his best friend in Vietnam was killed, just days before he was due to return home. John escaped the mountaintop on the second to last helicopter out of Ripcord as it was being overrun. He carried the burden of these memories throughout his life, rarely talking about them, and it wasn’t until very late in life that his pride for being a member of the famous 101st Airborne Division came to light, and from then on, you rarely saw him without his “Screaming Eagles” cap on.

Returning home to the farm he loved, Daltondale, John focussed his attention on milking, breeding and showing purebred Ayrshire cattle with his father and brother Tom. (His brother Don and sister Peggy had followed their mother into the field of teaching.) John had been awarded the Premier Exhibitor award during the Ayrshire show at the Wisconsin State Fair in 1964 and was determined to vie for that title again. 

John married Roberta Fetherston on November 24th, 1973 and she and her son Randy (Richert) moved on to the farm. Son Tim was born in August of 1975. Through the years John was an involved parent attending the boys’ activities and sporting events. Of course, the boys also spent time with John on the farm helping in the barns, fields, and show rings, but farming was not their passion. Randy entered the USAF after graduation from Gustavus Adolphus College and had a long, successful career retiring in 2015 as a Colonel. Following in John’s footsteps,Tim graduated from the University of Wisconsin. He is a Special Agent in Diplomatic Security for the U.S. State Department. Both boys have lived in various overseas locations and John and Bobbi enjoyed traveling to visit them. (Always managing to sneak in a farm visit.)

With both boys leaving, Daltondale needed more help. They found it in Nick Tetzlaff, a local student who was looking for summer employment. Nick started in 1997 and continued to work for John throughout high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees in Dairy Science from UW Whitewater. After John’s brother Tom passed away, Nick became indispensable in helping John to continue running Daltondale. Working side by side through the years their relationship changed from employer-employee to John looking on Nick as another son.

 Throughout all this time John continued to be active in the dairy industry on the local, state, national and international levels:

*He was a local 4-H dairy leader for 25 years helping to mold several generations of future farmers. 

*He continued to show at the Waukesha County and Wisconsin State fairs, being inducted into the WI State Fair Hall of Fame in 2018.

*He was an exhibitor at World Dairy Expo throughout the first 50 years of that event, served as Director for several years, was a member of WDE’s Dairy Cattle Exhibitor Committee since its creation in 1984, serving as committee chairman for seven years, and served on WDE’s Executive Board for many years. In 2016 he received the A.C. “Whitie” Thompson Award for his exemplary leadership and sportsmanship throughout the show.

*Daltondale Farm has hosted delegates to WDE as one of the farms on its annual tour.

*In 2013 John received the Premier Breeder of the International Ayrshire Show World Dairy Expo.

*His long association with the Ayrshire Breeders Association Board of Directors saw him serving as President, 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President and an active member in many committees. 

*In 2012 he received the U.S. Ayrshire Breeders Association Master Breeder Award.

*He is a past Director of the World Federation of Ayrshire Breed Societies.

*He was instrumental in establishing a Foreign Agriculture Service international marketing program and served as the program coordinator for many years. In 1991 he traveled to Russia on a FAS sponsored trip.

*He has been a Wisconsin Purebred Dairy Cattle Association Director and past President.

*John served as Director of the National Dairy Shrine at one time..

*He was a Director and past President of the Midwest Ayrshire Club.

 As a farmer, John’s love of the showring and developing the breed genetically was evident. Daltondale Farms have exhibited cattle at the local, state and national levels. Animals with the Daltondale prefix have topped the Elite Cow List, sent bulls into A.I., won national production awards and have been named All-Americans. In 2016, the Reserve Grand-Champion Ayrshire at World Dairy Expo was a granddaughter of the Dalton prefix. 

John was also involved in the local community serving on the local School Board and Board of Adjustment for the Town of Merton. He was also a member of the local VFW.

During all this time, Bobbi, his wife of 50 years, was by his side. They raised two sons, Randy (Andrea) and Tim (Kristy) and spent time with their grandchildren Jessica, Shelby and Finnigan. They hosted numerous nieces and nephews on the farm over the years.

His smile was infectious, his sense of mischievousness showed in the glint of his eyes and he loved to get others to join in his tricks. He truly loved to get to know everyone he met, and he cherished his friends and family. He will be missed by all.

A memorial reception will be held Tuesday July 23, 2024 at Evert-Luko Funeral Home, Hartland, WI with visitation from 2:30-4:30pm, memorial service 4:30-5pm, and celebration of life from 5pm onwards at the American Legion, Hartland. Please dress comfortably as that was the way John would have wanted it.

In lieu of Flowers please consider contributing to one of these programs through the Wisconsin Ayrshire Breeders Association-

 Wisconsin Ayrshire Youth Grant Award

The Wisconsin Ayrshire Breeders Association has decided to make a change to what use to be the Shayr-A- Heifer Program to the Youth Grant Award. It is designed to help young people ages 18 years of age and younger who are interested in having a Registered Ayrshire dairy project of their own. $1000 will be awarded to a junior Ayrshire member to use towards the purchase of a Registered Ayrshire of their choice. We would like to instill in the youth grant award winner the responsibility of purchasing the animal on their own and the decision making that goes into that purchase. We would also like to share the risk associated with not only purchasing the registered Ayrshire but also raising the animal as a registered Ayrshire show project. 

Wisconsin Ayrshire Youth Scholarship

To be considered for the $500.00 scholarship applicants must:

1. Be a high school senior or currently enrolled in a two- or four-year institution of higher education, with documentation from that institution and not be past the year of your 21st birthday. 

2. Must be a current member of the Wisconsin Ayrshire Junior Breeders’ Association. 

3. The scholarship is open to any major with a preference for a degree in agriculture or dairy related field. 

4. The following information must be submitted along with the application: 

     a. Please tell us about yourself and include the following information: 

          i. Describe your involvement in Ayrshire activities on the local, state, and/or national level. 

          ii. Describe your involvement in 4-H and/or FFA activities on the local, state/or national level. 

          iii. Describe your involvement in school, church, and community activities; include offices held, awards, 

              and honors received.

           iv. A summary of your career goals and aspirations related to your major and area of study. 

 Donations may be sent to the Wisconsin Ayrshire Association, 908 Bonheur Court, Neenah, WI 54956. You can choose either the youth scholarship or the youth grant program.