Lyle Duane Linnell, 89, passed away Dec. 21, 2016, at his residence in Coeur d’Alene. He was born in Kit Carson County, Colo., to Margaret Hanley Linnell and Seth Linnell on March 10, 1927.

Lyle grew up on a farm near Goodland, Kan. He went to grade school in a one-room country school. He attended high school in St. Francis, Kan. He was State Champ in wrestling his junior year and second in state his senior year. In 1945, he left high school before graduation to join the Navy. He was 18. He finished high school in the service. He was stationed in Chicago as a Shore Patrol and was assigned to the Hastings Ammunition Base in Hastings, Neb.

After the Navy, he entered college at Kansas State receiving a degree in agriculture. He graduated from Fort Hays University in Kansas in 1960 with a master’s degree in botany and range management.

Lyle began his government service with the Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service in Grainfield, Kan., where he met his first wife, Joyce Romesburg. They had three children, Steven Linell of Carson City, Nev., Debra Linnell of El Dorado, Calif., and Brian J. Linnell of Sacramento, Calif. The family lived in Quinter, Kan., Lander, Wyo., Cheyenne, Wyo., Rawlins, Wyo., Reno, Nev., Lakewood, Colo., and Anchorage, Alaska.

He retired to Coeur d’Alene in 1987 after 32 years of government service. He had three pairs of pants to be shortened and answered an ad in the Nickel’s Worth where he met his future wife, Janis M. Linnell in May 1982. They were married in May 1983. They have resided in the French Gulch area of Coeur d’Alene these past 30 years.

Lyle enjoyed woodworking and being outdoors in the garden and taking care of their horses and chickens. He and Jan enjoyed traveling to Australia, Africa, Italy and various U.S. states and family.

He is survived by his wife, Janis; his three children; stepdaughters Sharon Fish of California and Kathleen Zavatti of Texas; grandchildren Steven Holland of South Carolina, Megan Ellis of California, Brian J. Linnell Jr. of Texas, Eric Fish of California, Dana Fish of Pennsylvania, Olivia Zavatti of Texas and Nickolas Zavatti of Texas; sister Leah Pettigrew of Colorado; brother James Linnell of South Carolina; brother-in-law Merle Leistner of California; and many nieces and nephews.

Viewing will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016, at Yates Funeral Home, 744 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene.