Leslie L. McCracken, age 72, of Orfordville, passed away Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at Aurora Lakeland Hospital in Elkhorn. He was born May 31, 1951, to Joseph “Beryl” and Christine (Purcell) McCracken in Greene County, Tennessee. He married Glenda Whitehead on December 8, 1988, in Johnson City, Tennessee. Leslie was a dairy farmer and heavily involved in the dairy industry his whole life. In Tennessee, his father and he won numerous awards for soil conservation and herd excellence including: gold medal breeding - Appalachian Holstein Breeders Association (1988), developing an outstanding herd - Appalachian Holstein Breeders Association (1988,1991), developing an outstanding cow (1987,1991). Valspring Holsteins, the business and herd developed by Leslie and his father, grew to regional and national success in his lifetime.
Leslie and his family sold their registered Holsteins in national and regional sales over the years. The McCracken’s Valspring herd was ranked first in Tennessee numerous times and ninth in the nation in 1991. The herd also won a Progressive Breeders Registry award and was known for its tremendous longevity, having bred and developed 150 cows with over 100,000 pounds of lifetime production and four cows with over 200,000 pounds lifetime production. Leslie and his family moved to Menomonie, Wisconsin in 1993 to pursue dairy farming in a state he admired and often called the “mecca of dairy farming.” By the end of his life, Leslie had been a member of the Wisconsin Holstein Association for over 50 years.
After a milk market crash in the 1990s caused him to return back to Tennessee, he soon began working as a farm manager for award-winning operations and a cattle broker for dairy herds across North America, continuing the success of the Valspring Holstein name for decades to come. He again was called back to Wisconsin to pursue deep-rooted love of the dairy industry in 2008 when his family relocated to the village of Orfordville. Apart from having a vast knowledge of dairy and cattle genetics, Leslie was a loving father, husband and friend. He was known for his constant antics, lack of appropriate clothing, long-winded stories and quick wit. Leslie loved spending time outside with his hands in the soil, relaxing with his dogs and cats, watching Westerns, Diet Coke, peanut butter and Key lime pie.
Leslie was a member of a New Horizon Methodist Church in Orfordville and attended Plymouth United Methodist Church. Leslie is survived by his wife of 35 years Glenda; his children; Hawthorn C. (Chris Johnson) McCracken, John J (Katie) McCracken, guardian son Jeffery (Grace) Rutter, grandchildren; Gabriel and Jovie, Uncle Theil McCracken and cousins; Jean, Natalie, Jeffrey, Greg, Alan, Leeann and Colleen. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister: Jeffrey Lynn McCracken.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00am Saturday May 4, 2024, at Plymouth United Methodist Church, 5614 County Hwy H, Orfordville, WI. Visitation will be from 9:00 am until the time of service. Burial will follow in Plymouth Cemetery. Apfel Wolfe Funeral Home is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dairy Shrine, Holstein Association of Wisconsin or your local chapter of the Future Farmers of America. Leslie’s family would like to extend their sincerest thanks to the staff of Fresenius Dialysis, Nurse Cindy, SSM Home Health Services and his many doctors and nurses.
