MONROE — Although the time Dennis Everson has dedicated himself to his professional life and his community has been immense, he said he has been just simply doing what is best to promote Monroe and the wonderful people who live here. 

He’s been walking into the same building, now called Wisconsin Bank & Trust, for more than four decades. It’s the place where he’s spent his career committed to learning, keeping up and helping others. 

As he prepares for his looming retirement, he’s planning to continue his community involvement while also taking time to enjoy family, friends and the world around him. 

Everson grew up outside of South Wayne on a dairy farm where the family also raised pigs and chickens on about 300 acres of land. He attended South Wayne Grade School until becoming the first freshman class to combine with Gratiot, making it Black Hawk High School.

Everson fell in the middle of a family among four sisters and a brother, and said everyone was expected to help on the farm. As a youngster he began helping with chickens and pigs until he graduated into milking and field work. 

“We always worked hard,” he said.

The family also found fun among each other as “farm kids.” They would often make up their own games and spend time with children from neighboring farms, regularly playing hide and seek and softball. 

At Black Hawk High School, Everson was an athlete and a good student, involved in football and wrestling, and even dabbled in track and basketball.

“Sports was one way you got out of doing chores for a while,” Everson said with a smile.

The 1971 high school graduate wasn’t exactly sure what job he would pursue, but he did know one thing. 

“I knew I didn’t want to farm,” Everson said. 

His father, also aware of that, had stopped farming due to health reasons in 1970 and the family had moved to town.

Everson decided to attend the nearby University of Wisconsin-Platteville where he double majored in accounting and business administration. The “numbers guy” said college was a new, but positive experience where he enjoyed friends, intramural sports and found a familiar group of students that he joined in business-related clubs. 

He finished with his degree at UW-Platteville in 1975 and had already spent two summers as an intern at Commercial and Savings Bank, helping them develop an internal audit program. In 1974, they were building a new location right off of the downtown Square. 

It’s the building he’s been coming to almost every day since 1975, when he was offered a full-time position with the bank. He was hired by Lois Kaster. 

Though the bank has gone through five different name changes — now called Wisconsin National Bank & Trust — one constant has been Everson.  

“I tell my customers I come with the building,” he laughed.

Jack Kundert was the president at that time and it was under him where Everson learned the ins and outs of each role in the banking world. He took on every job there was, from sorting checks to making statements and being a teller. He would fill in wherever he was needed. 

His eventual position was assisting Larry Vance as the bank’s auditor; Everson took over the position in time. After about eight years in auditing, a position opened in lending and vice president Jim Finley asked Everson if he might be interested. He began working with consumer loans and mortgages. 

“I really liked talking to the customers to help them with their needs,” Everson said. “It’s always great to see what you can do to help.”

Later on, he would work with more types of customers, including small businesses. He was happy to be 

He worked closely with small business customers, and eventually nonprofit organizations as well. He considers many of them to be proud to have helped.

“I am proud to have helped many area nonprofit organizations and businesses to build facilities and expand their businesses to the betterment of Green County during my banking career,” he said.

He then moved to consumer loans for a few years and then went onto business loans. He very much enjoyed his small business customers and working closely with the small business administration and the rural development, lots of programs to help expand and grow.

He’s seen many changes through the years, but none more than technology. He said machines do the work that he watched many people do in the past and has seen many things come and go through the years.

“I would say I rode the wave of change and tried to stay on top of it all,” he said.

Everson became the vice president to Jim Finley in the early 1990s after becoming the bank compliance officer, a position he still holds. But Everson’s last day at the career and place he’s been coming to for the past 43 years is nearing. His final day will be Jan. 31.  

Along with a career spent serving Monroe, Everson has also served outside of his job and in a big way. He became heavily involved with Cheese Days early on, and not necessarily by accident. 

He was attending a party at the bank for the event and wasn’t wearing a pin when the then Cheese Days Queen came over to give him one. Her name was Janice. She would eventually become his bride in 1979. The couple stayed a part of the celebration of Green County and Monroe for 40 years, and although he still plans to be involved, Everson recently retired from the board.

He has fond memories of Cheese Days through the years, including in 1978 when they raffled off a Ford Pinto that reportedly had problems with the gas tank. Everson said he was glad they had sold enough tickets to pay for the car before that news came out. 

Everson has served in many capacities through the years, including director, treasurer and co-chair. He served as the event’s president for several years, and again 20 years later in 2016. 

“It really celebrates what the region is about,” he said. “Dairy, cheese; food in general. I just thought it was really beneficial for people to promote that and for people to see what Green County is about.”

Everson was also involved with the Jaycees early on, and then joined up with the Monroe Morning Optimists for more years than he can seemingly recall. 

In 2004, he was approached by a neighbor who was leaving the county board and asked if he would be interested. He has served since then, now as first vice chair, the finance committee chair and serves on the Pleasant View Oversight Committee.

“I’m proud we’ve been able to upgrade facilities while still trying to be financially responsible to the taxpayers,” he said.

He and Janice have two boys, and while they were in high school the family welcomed German exchange students into their home, becoming close with them and visiting them later in Europe. Everson also coached his son’s teams at the Green County Family YMCA and park district. He and Janice helped with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Everson had served on the board of directors for the YMCA and the Green County Literacy Council and is currently involved in, and in the past has served, on council and on various committees at Grace Lutheran Church.

Volunteering, however, would have been difficult without someone taking care of things at home, he said. 

“Most of the volunteer things I’ve done wouldn’t have happened without the support of my wife,” Everson said. “It takes a team.”

With retirement on the horizon, Everson said he’s ready for the season of change in his life. He said he’s always known at 65, if he was in a position to retire, he would. Although it will be hard not to come to the building he’s come to nearly each day for more than four decades, he said he’s looking forward to some things retirement has to offer. He and Jan, a registered nurse at Monroe Clinic, enjoy travel and have a trip to Switzerland planned for their future.

“I think it will be a different experience, but I think I’m up for it,” he said.

He also enjoys downhill skiing, as well as staying active with pickleball and other activities. The couple also enjoys time with family, especially their two sons, Erik and Kyle and their wives. He’s also looking forward to more time with his two grandsons.  

Everson has stood by words in his career, his personal life and in volunteering that have always brought importance to him: 

“I like to think I wouldn’t ask anybody to do something that I wouldn’t do myself,” he said.