Timothy Allan Hintze, 69

Timothy Allan Hintze was born June 30, 1956 to Raymond and Marilyn Hintze. He died on May 22, 2026, shortly after being diagnosed with late-stage small cell lung cancer.

Growing up in Bergland, Michigan, Tim was one of eight siblings who raised hell in the backwoods of the Upper Peninsula. After graduating from Bergland High School in 1974, Tim enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served four years in classified communications while stationed in Spain and Okinawa, Japan.

In 1979, he moved to Sidney, Montana to work in the oil industry. He met Lynnette Haug at the Triangle Bar and the two married on June 12, 1982. They had two girls, Heather and Deanna, and lived on a hobby farm outside of town where they gardened and raised sheep, chickens and a few goats.

Tim bought a meat processing plant in Sidney in 1986 and was well known for going the distance to help farmers with their custom meat processing.

Tim and Lynnette started the Main Link at the Richland County Fair in 1987 and it’s still the most popular food stand, with people lining up for his signature Bratwurst and Cheddar Dawgs with caramelized onions.

The family moved to Whitefish in 1991 after Tim got an offer to be the production manager of Whitefish Custom Meats. He ran that plant for a few years until it was absorbed by Stampede Packing in Kalispell, then worked there before retiring in 2019. His beloved Redneck brand of sausage can still be found in stores around the Flathead Valley.

In retirement, Tim enjoyed gardening and woodworking. He was a member of the Paint, Metal, and Mud gallery in Kalispell where he sold cutting boards.

Tim is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Lynnette, and his sister, Patty Karpinski. He is survived by his children, Heather Hintze (Will Mader) and Deanna (Rob) Mackin, grandchildren Marlena and Tristan, and his siblings Cyndy Hintze-Davis, Diane Blanford, Tom Hintze, Terry Hintze, Ted Hintze and Sharon Hintze.