Dennis L. Armitage
Dennis Lee Armitage, 83 of Blair, formerly of Atlanta, MO, passed away in his home, Saturday, August 29, 2026.
Dennis was born March 11, 1943, in Green Bay, to Merle and Rosella (Lautenschlager) Armitage, and grew up primarily in the Seymour, WI area. He attended Seymour High School, graduating in 1961.
Following graduation, Dennis worked at a variety of jobs. While working on a construction site, he was severely burned and spent many months in the hospital enduring treatments and skin grafts. Dennis married Linda Wilson, and started their family with Dawn, and then daughter Michelle. For many years, they lived in the Madison area. Dennis and Lin later divorced.
Dennis’ love for horse pulling began early, following in the footsteps of his dad, Merle, and grandpa, Claude, both well-known horsemen in the sport. After losing his father in his early teens, Dennis’s mother later married Marshall Grass, another pillar of the horse pulling community. Surrounded by that strong horse-pulling tradition from the time he was young, it’s no surprise that Dennis carried a love for horses and the sport with him throughout his entire life. And in that lifetime, what a horseman he became. He had a natural way about him and an understanding that came from a lifetime of experience, patience, hard work and genuine respect for the animals and sport he loved. Dennis was deeply involved in the horse-pulling community and was a member of horse pulling associations in both Wisconsin and Missouri. Over the years, he traveled countless miles, competed at pulls across the states, and made lifelong friendships. A few of his greatest accomplishments include winning the Big Red pull in Wisconsin, and setting the record for crossing the largest load ever in Detroit, with his team Rob and Roy. He still holds this record today. He was also a proud inductee and member of the Wisconsin Horsepuller’s Hall of Fame.
Dennis spent nearly 32 years living in Missouri before returning to his Wisconsin roots on August 4 of this year. He was so happy to be “back home”. In those few short weeks, Dennis made the most of his time, spending many of his days working side-by-side with his brother, Alan, and the horses — right where he was happiest. Though his time back home was far shorter than anyone could have imagined, those days were filled with family, horses, and a sense of belonging that meant so much to him. Sadly, Dennis passed away just a few short weeks after being back.
Dennis is survived by his daughters: Michelle (Craig) Rabuck, Dawn (Ken) Wermuth; grandchildren: Abbie and Noah Rabuck, his siblings – Alan (Sandy) Grass, Carla Tenneson, and Brenda (Norman) Olson; nieces and nephews: Debi (Chris) Fremstad, Lori (Kevin) Lisowski, Robin (Ryan) Nelson, Cheryl (Tom) Tenneson, Dawn (Mike) Troug, Tom (Angel) Tenneson, Penny (Jon) Paulson, Tammy (Dick) Jinkerson, Travis (Stacy) Armitage, Brent (Kristin) Olson, and Jeff (Sarah) Olson; special friend, Linda Poe; and numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, Merle Armitage; his mother, Rosella Grass; step-father, Marshall Grass; son, Todd; maternal grandparents, Albert and Anna Lautenschlager; paternal grandparents, Claude and Vernice Armitage; his brother, Gary Armitage; sister-in-law, Patsy Armitage; and brother-in-law, John Tenneson; and several aunts and uncles.
A private family service will be held Friday, September 11, 2026, at 2:30 p.m., with a Celebration of Life and luncheon to follow at 4:00 p.m. All are welcome to join us at 4:00 p.m. at the Blair Haus, 107 W. Broadway St., Blair, for food, refreshments and to remember Dennis.
