Vogel, Dale Adolph

FENNIMORE – Dale Adolph Vogel, age 89, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday October 2, 2025, surrounded by family, after a courageous 20-year battle with Leukemia and Lymphoma.

Dale was born on February 10, 1936, in Dodgeville, WI, to Gladys (Dale) and Rudy Vogel. His arrival came during a fierce snowstorm. Sadly, his mother passed away when he was just two weeks old. Dale was then raised by his father Rudy, a Swiss Cheesemaker and his stepmother, Hazel (Howell) Vogel. During his childhood, he spent summers with his grandparents, Alfred and Lydia Dale, on their farm in Edmund. Those summers became some of his fondest memories, and he loved to share stories about riding the train from Fennimore to Edmund and helping with chores on their horse-powered farm, which had no running water or electricity. 

When Dale was 11, his parents moved from Fennimore to North Andover, and he often helped local farmers. He graduated from the North Andover School in 8th grade and went on to attend Bloomington High School. In March of 1952, Rudy and Hazel moved to Arthur to continue their cheesemaking business, while Dale stayed behind with Carl and Glady Forck to finish his sophomore year. He later joined his parents in Arthur and graduated from Livingston High School in 1954.

On December 28, 1956, Dale married Alice Scott in the Bloomington Congregational Church. Together, they built a life and farmed in the Fennimore, Lancaster, and Montfort areas for a total of 41 years. In 1964, they purchased their farm near Montfort, where they raised their family and worked the land for 34 years. Dale’s commitment to agriculture and his community earned him the Grant County Outstanding Young Farmer Award in 1968 from the Lancaster Jaycees. He also served on the Grant County FmHA Board and was an early advocate for dairy farmers and their fight against stray voltage issues. 

In 1998, Dale and Alice retired from farming and moved to Fennimore, where they became active members of the Fennimore United Methodist Church. Never one to stay still, Dale turned his lifelong passion for machinery into Vogel’s Tractor Restoration, where he spent more than 20 years restoring tractors for himself and others. His sharp eye for detail, deep knowledge, and steady hands transformed old tractors into pieces of working history. Dale and Alice hosted the Southwest Wisconsin Tractor Ride, bringing the community together for nine wonderful years. What began as a hobby became a second career – one that earned Dale national recognition and many lasting friendships. 

Dale is survived by his wife of 68 years, Alice; their children: Carol Johnson (Steve Walczak) of Philadelphia, PA, David (JoAnn) Vogel of Fennimore, and Cari (Stephen) Ostberg of Fairfield, MT; four grandchildren: Kurt (Laura) Vogel of Hudson, WI, Crystal (Michael) French of Dubuque, IA, Luke (Amy) Ostberg of Florissant, MO, and Shea Ostberg of Helena, MT; two great grandsons, Gavin and Derek Vogel of Hudson, WI; as well as many nieces and nephews. 

He was preceded in death by his mother, Gladys, stepmother Hazel, father Rudy, sister Judy (Jim) Winkers, brother Dean Vogel, brothers in-law Brad (Margie) Scott and Gordon (Violet) Scott, and sister in-law Elizabeth (Joe) Wegmann.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday October 25, 2025, at the Fennimore United Methodist Church with burial to follow in Prairie Cemetery in Fennimore. A visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday October 24, at the church and again from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday, at the church. The Larson Family Funeral Home in Fenimore is assisting the family. For online condolences, please visit: www.larsonfuneralhomes.com

The family would like to thank Upland Hills Nursing staff, St. Mary’s Hospital staff, Agrace Hospice Care, and neighbor Stephanie Knapp for all the care in Dale’s final days. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Marsden Park, Fennimore United Methodist Church, or Agrace Hospice Care.