MONROE – Chuck Koch owned his own business for several decades and still spends countless hours serving local civic and government groups.

But will he ever slow down?

“I’ve never tried it,” he said with a laugh.

Koch grew up just four miles south of town on a dairy farm where the self-proclaimed “farm boy” worked each day. The children were very much expected to help on the farm, even more later on when his father had health issues.

“We didn’t have much time to get in trouble,” he said.

Farm living brought diversity in the form of dairy, hogs and chickens, and even some sheep during a few FFA years, he said. He attended the West Clarno Country School for eight years, a place he enjoyed. Luckily the farm was just far enough away that he and his siblings were able to ride the school bus.

Fun times came infrequently, but when they did, it was often in the form of outdoor activities.

“If we weren’t cutting thistles or doing other farm work, we did some fishing and hunting,” he said, noting there were no deer or turkey at that time. Instead, they tracked down pheasants, rabbits and squirrels. Hunting is still something he enjoys – now mostly basking in the peace and quiet of the countryside.

At Monroe High School, Koch wasn’t involved in much – he was expected to be home to help with evening chores, but he often studied and stayed on the honor roll. Although he was called in for a physical to join the service, he was never called up, he said.

The 1959 Monroe High School graduate had a dream of going to architectural school. He worked summers on construction crews in Clarno, and hoped to become a designer, he said. However, the closest school that offered a program was in Michigan, which wasn’t feasible at the time.

Instead, he took some mechanics classes locally, which he enjoyed, and it paved the road for his future. He began work for Malcolm Marty at Marty’s Texaco on 13th Street, who became a mentor for him in the world of mechanics. He then worked at Dearth’s Automotive for a while before taking over Marty’s station around 1963.

Through the years, Koch has seen ups and downs in the business world of mechanics. When the gas wars came, he said he simply couldn’t survive on selling gas and repair work. He built his own shop, Chuck’s Automotive, in 1979 on the east side of the fairgrounds.

Working with customers each day was his favorite part – he said he enjoyed getting to know people in town. Despite the stress that comes with being a business owner, Koch said the tension and fun were equal, memorable and worth it through the years. Computers coming in to play was one of the biggest changes and he said it was a challenge to keep up at times.

“I enjoyed it,” he said. “I enjoyed the people, especially when I could help them out of a problem.”

Leaving Monroe was never an option, he said. He and his wife, Nancy, have been married since 1962 and their two children also live in Monroe.

“I never thought about leaving Monroe – it didn’t appeal to me,” Koch said. “I’m not a big city guy.”

In 2004, Koch had a heart attack, and his son took over the business.

Community involvement has been a part of Koch’s life for as long as many can remember. In 1965, he joined the Monroe Fire Department after a friend talked him into it. He stayed on for 22 years, spending his last two years as the fire chief.

“I’ve been involved with the community ever since,” he said. “I enjoyed the department, working with the community and just trying to improve things.”

In 1988, Koch ran for Monroe Common Council and served on and off until last year, when he declared he would not seek another term as alderman. 

“I was trying to better the community and do what I could to keep Monroe progressive,” he said.

He currently still serves as the president of the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners and has been part of the committee since 1997. He said the mayor, looking for people at that time, knew Koch had experience with the fire department and might want to help.

“It’s been an interesting and fun process,” he said. “I just enjoy Monroe. It’s a nice, small community – I wouldn’t want to live any place else.”

For the past 12 years, Koch has also worked at Silver Lewis Cheese Factory, starting at 2:30 a.m. in the cooler, pulling cheese from the salt brines. He said he enjoys the work and the people he works with.

“I’ve got a pretty good case of arthritis so I like to be active so it doesn’t nail me down,” Koch said.

Through the years he has enjoyed traveling – many times because of their daughter who served as an AFS student and then lived out of state until recently. He also has fond memories of family trips to northern Wisconsin. He and Nancy recently visited Switzerland to see some family history. Koch said he would like to go back. They have also visited Hawaii three times, a special, peaceful place to them. For their 50th wedding anniversary, they took an Alaskan cruise.

Today, he doesn’t travel as much. Family is a priority for Koch, and he enjoys spending time with his children and four grandchildren.

Between owning his own business, working an extra job and volunteering in the community, Koch hasn’t had much time to relax. But one thing he’s always done, and still loves to do, is spend time in his garden. The 35-foot-by-70-foot garden has a little of everything – potatoes, beans, radishes, onions, beets and the list goes on. His mother had a big garden during his childhood and Koch said he spent many days weeding and helping pick for her. For the past 15 years, he’s sold his produce at the local farmer’s market. He said his wife is the cook in the family – but he’s always been the gardener.

He also dabbles in woodworking, selling items like bird houses, bat houses, wooden windmills and spinners, to name a few.

Since childhood, Koch has been a member at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Monroe. He has served on the council, the property committee and currently has usher and communion serving teams.

“I just like community service,” he said. “I always have. Even in school.”

He said his class was even the charter class for the Key Club, a branch of Kiwanis.

Koch is a member of Kiwanis, and though he doesn’t attend meetings, he feels it’s a great organization. He’s also part of the Moose Club, another group he believes does a lot of good.

One of his favorite sayings is one his father engrained in him while he was growing up. He said it’s something he does his best to live by. He considers himself an optimistic person who tries to always look for the good in people – an attribute that likely comes from his own father – who never let rough times get him down.

 “If you can’t say something good about someone – don’t say anything,” he concluded.