ALBANY - If you have Jim Sterr's personal phone number, you can stop calling him now about power outages between Brodhead and New Glarus. Sterr retires today, Nov. 30 after 47 years with Alliant Energy.
Since being transferred to Green County in 1975, lineman Sterr has often been a one-man show in blizzards, rainstorms and darkness, answering the calls of local residents with no electricity or a possible gas leak.
Alliant Energy customers are supposed to alert the company's call center, but because Sterr's been involved with the community so intimately and for so long, some people skip the red tape and go straight to Jim. The familiarity with calling Sterr at home about any electrical outage got started at a time when there were no cell phones.
"I still have to tell them, call 1-800-Alliant," Sterr laughed.
But Sterr's a problem solver and likes troubleshooting, which is why he likes his job, he said.
"He's never turned anyone down," said his wife, Jody. "It's been, basically, an unsaid rule in our house: Be polite and give them the assistance they need."
Forty years of callouts have interrupted more than one family gathering, holiday or full night of sleep. In fact, Jody's first date with Jim Sterr left her stranded at his house during a winter storm, while he spent two nights and all of Saturday traveling the county to keep electricity flowing to hundreds of area homes.
"When I got back, I sent her home (in his truck), and I went to sleep," Sterr recalled.
The Sterr's family philosophy has helped tremendously in Jim's job.
"If we've got power, yeah, he may have to eat a little bit of leftovers, but it's part of life. You go out and help somebody else's holiday succeed," Jody said. "The rest of us just step up to the plate and take over his chores."
"We believe in paying it forward," she added.
While Alliant linemen were not allowed to have a second job - technically, they are on call 24/7 - decades ago, they were highly encouraged to get involved with their communities.
Sterr got involved and stayed involved, and much of his community work added more emergency calls to his home.
He was part of the fire department for over 25 years, and the Alliant bucket truck equipped with a red light was also authorized to go on fire calls.
He was with the Albany Lions Club for 10 years, and rose to the rank of president. Sterr also served on the Albany School District Board of Education for nine years, 1994-2003.
When he discovered the community needed more people on ambulance runs, Sterr gave up the Lions Club to volunteer.
"It was just too much with everything," he said.
He became part of the EMS unit, for which he needed Alliant Energy's permission, "because it was a commitment," Sterr said. His wife followed him in that endeavor.
"I thought I might as well," she said, "I was getting woken up in the middle of the night, too."
Their training earned them EMT positions at Alliant stockholders' meetings.
Sterr didn't stop with community emergency involvement - he was a Boy Scout Master for six years, and even then, while on a scout camping outing, he got called back to work. He also taught kids how to snow ski and roller skate for years, and he drove busses for school children's special events.
On their first day as husband and wife, the Sterrs transported students by bus to Wausau for Odyssey of the Mind, an educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities.
"When it got out, we were in the middle of a snow storm, and had to drive that bus all the way home," Jody said.
"Without any weight in it," Sterr added. "There were only, like, 15 kids on the bus."
"But we made it," she said and then smiled, "... and it's been a honeymoon ever since."
Despite all the dreadful working conditions Sterr has endured throughout his career, Jody said they've had a "pretty good" life. They've done some traveling, including Alaska and Panama Canal. Their son Chad is a lieutenant colonel with the Air Force Pararescue, a special operations unit for recovery and medical treatment of personnel.
"Albany-Monticello has been a great place to live," Jody added. "We appreciate what the communities have given us."
The Sterrs have been "easing out" of the fire department and EMT, according to Sterr.
And as for their retirement plans, "We're going to be winging it," Jody said.
Since being transferred to Green County in 1975, lineman Sterr has often been a one-man show in blizzards, rainstorms and darkness, answering the calls of local residents with no electricity or a possible gas leak.
Alliant Energy customers are supposed to alert the company's call center, but because Sterr's been involved with the community so intimately and for so long, some people skip the red tape and go straight to Jim. The familiarity with calling Sterr at home about any electrical outage got started at a time when there were no cell phones.
"I still have to tell them, call 1-800-Alliant," Sterr laughed.
But Sterr's a problem solver and likes troubleshooting, which is why he likes his job, he said.
"He's never turned anyone down," said his wife, Jody. "It's been, basically, an unsaid rule in our house: Be polite and give them the assistance they need."
Forty years of callouts have interrupted more than one family gathering, holiday or full night of sleep. In fact, Jody's first date with Jim Sterr left her stranded at his house during a winter storm, while he spent two nights and all of Saturday traveling the county to keep electricity flowing to hundreds of area homes.
"When I got back, I sent her home (in his truck), and I went to sleep," Sterr recalled.
The Sterr's family philosophy has helped tremendously in Jim's job.
"If we've got power, yeah, he may have to eat a little bit of leftovers, but it's part of life. You go out and help somebody else's holiday succeed," Jody said. "The rest of us just step up to the plate and take over his chores."
"We believe in paying it forward," she added.
While Alliant linemen were not allowed to have a second job - technically, they are on call 24/7 - decades ago, they were highly encouraged to get involved with their communities.
Sterr got involved and stayed involved, and much of his community work added more emergency calls to his home.
He was part of the fire department for over 25 years, and the Alliant bucket truck equipped with a red light was also authorized to go on fire calls.
He was with the Albany Lions Club for 10 years, and rose to the rank of president. Sterr also served on the Albany School District Board of Education for nine years, 1994-2003.
When he discovered the community needed more people on ambulance runs, Sterr gave up the Lions Club to volunteer.
"It was just too much with everything," he said.
He became part of the EMS unit, for which he needed Alliant Energy's permission, "because it was a commitment," Sterr said. His wife followed him in that endeavor.
"I thought I might as well," she said, "I was getting woken up in the middle of the night, too."
Their training earned them EMT positions at Alliant stockholders' meetings.
Sterr didn't stop with community emergency involvement - he was a Boy Scout Master for six years, and even then, while on a scout camping outing, he got called back to work. He also taught kids how to snow ski and roller skate for years, and he drove busses for school children's special events.
On their first day as husband and wife, the Sterrs transported students by bus to Wausau for Odyssey of the Mind, an educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities.
"When it got out, we were in the middle of a snow storm, and had to drive that bus all the way home," Jody said.
"Without any weight in it," Sterr added. "There were only, like, 15 kids on the bus."
"But we made it," she said and then smiled, "... and it's been a honeymoon ever since."
Despite all the dreadful working conditions Sterr has endured throughout his career, Jody said they've had a "pretty good" life. They've done some traveling, including Alaska and Panama Canal. Their son Chad is a lieutenant colonel with the Air Force Pararescue, a special operations unit for recovery and medical treatment of personnel.
"Albany-Monticello has been a great place to live," Jody added. "We appreciate what the communities have given us."
The Sterrs have been "easing out" of the fire department and EMT, according to Sterr.
And as for their retirement plans, "We're going to be winging it," Jody said.