MONROE - Gary Hessel enjoys his friends and family to the fullest -now in his 80s and retired, the long-time Monroe resident is still volunteering, traveling and enjoying life after spending his career and raising his family in the town that has become, and will always be, considered home.
Hessel was born in Garnavillo, Iowa and his family soon moved to Boone, Iowa, where he grew up with two sisters.
Hessel calls himself a "Depression baby" and remembers standing in line at a bakery to purchase a loaf of day-old bread for 5 cents. By age 7, he had his own garden and went door to door, selling his vegetables out of a wagon.
Throughout high school, Hessel held jobs as a theater usher, drug store clerk, news stand/bus depot clerk and bookkeeper, among others. The 1950 Boone High School graduate said he was an above-average student who wasn't involved in sports, but enjoyed being a part of the men's choir and other organizations.
After high school, Hessel attended Drake University - by then the economy was starting to turn around and his mother, a teacher, and his father, a railroad engineer, encouraged school.
After two years, he volunteered for the draft during the Korean Conflict. He spent most of his Army time in Alaska as a payroll and personnel clerk before returning to finish his bachelor's degree in accounting at Drake.
During his time at Drake, he had a course in government and accounting and wrote a term paper on a local hospital. After spending time with the administration there and learning about the financing, he gleaned a strong interest in the medical field.
He worked at Shell Oil Company, working in Minneapolis for four years before getting accepted into Health Administration program at the University of Iowa.
"I didn't apply until I felt I could afford to go back to school," he said.
He completed one year on campus and then spent a year doing administrative work in Seattle. Hessel was married during that time as well, at age 30, to Mima, a woman he had dated on and off for seven years. She passed away in 2007.
Hessel's first job out of graduate school was at a Methodist Hospital in Texas where he was the assistant to the administrator there. Since he knew he wanted to end up in medical management, and after working in Texas for four years, he was delighted when Monroe Clinic called, asking him to join its administrative team.
The couple moved here in 1966 and the Iowa natives were happy to be moving closer to home.
"It was a good move because we've been here ever since," he said with a smile. "We thought this was a nice community to raise a family."
Hessel loved the job. He spent 26 years as the Monroe Clinic's assistant, and then hospital administrator. When the hospital bought the clinic in 1992, Hessel wasn't ready to retire so he took an assistant position with a friend at the clinic in Beloit until he retired at the end of 1996.
"Retirement just wasn't for me," he said, noting that he is someone who loves to stay busy. "In my working years, I was a work-a-holic, I didn't have any time for hobbies - I never developed any other than reading and traveling."
To keep himself busy, he took a job with Colony Brands, driving as a courier for 14 years and retired from there.
But not really.
Soon he was voluntarily driving again, this time for the Aging and Disability Resource Center; the 84-year-old still drives people to appointments and other places a few times a week. He sees the value in the program and has gotten to know some wonderful people while doing it, he said.
Driving is something he's always enjoyed, and he still drives to Arizona each winter for a month where he enjoys time with friends and the nice weather.
Staying involved has always been important to Hessel, and in his early days in Monroe he served on the United Way, was a part of the first Business Improvement District and was a charter member of the Green County Chapter of the American Cancer Society. He has been a Kiwanian for 50 years and served as both secretary and treasurer. He was the chair of the United Methodist Church Board of Trustees at the time of the transfer of ownership of the Methodist Church to the Monroe Arts and Activities Center, serving two terms.
He also has had a lengthy relationship with Black Hawk Technical College, and is a charter member of the Black Hawk Technical College Foundation, and maintained an active role of the Board of Directors there. When he retired from the foundation, he had served a total of 32 years on the board in various positions. As the foundation director, he served two, three-year terms on the Board of Directors for the college.
He has always been a Monroe High School sports lover and follower. He served as the treasurer of the MHS Sports Booster Club for more than 25 years, starting when his oldest daughter was a sophomore in high school. He said he's proud to have seen so much success alongside Kenny Gratz.
One of the things he holds most dearly are his friendships - with relatives, former high school and college classmates and Army friends.
Hessel has spent an extensive amount of time traveling, and has been to every continent except Antarctica. Until his wife became ill, they traveled together. After her passing, Hessel decided he wanted to continue to travel, but not alone.
So, he made an offer to each of his six grandchildren when they turned 12. They could choose a trip to anywhere, with no limits. Just the two of them would take on the world, if you will. Hessel earned not only a travel companion, but a deeper relationship with each of them, learning more about them along the way.
"I think of all the places we went, the one that stuck with me most was Uganda, on an African safari with my granddaughter," he said. "We spent time in an orphanage in Entebbe, and they were all children who lost their parents due to AIDS. It was a heartwarming experience. I still support that orphanage financially. I'm not sure I'm up to going back - but I'd love to."
The trips have taken him to Scotland, Ireland, Paris, London twice and many other places - most recently the Dominican Republic. Some of the grandchildren wanted busy scenes, others wanted more mission-style trips - one wanted simply to relax and enjoy. But Hessel said they were each as different as his grandchildren are.
"They were all a lot of fun," he said.
Hessel has also enjoyed an Honor Flight with his youngest daughter accompanying him, and has wonderful memories of that.
Hessel is a charter member and served several years on the Monroe Clinic Foundation for Medical Research and Education, although the name has since changed. He also received recognition from Kiwanis International as a Hixson Fellow for dedicated service to the objectives of Kiwanis.
He was awarded a certificate of recognition during his time at Swiss Colony and named the Older Worker of the Year by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Program. He gave his time to the Tax Aide Program with AARP and the IRS and helped with tax returns at the Behring Senior Center. He is a lifelong member of the Methodist church and has served in many capacities over the years.
Hessel also holds lifetime memberships in Delta Sigma Pie, Alpha Ta Omega, the Medical Group Management Association, the American College of Hospital Administrators and the American College of Medical Practice Executives.
He said that Monroe has been home and he enjoys being a part of the community and meeting friends for coffee, attending Kiwanis meetings, church and traveling.
"My family has always been a most important part of my life for which I am eternally grateful," he said. "I just feel like this is the place for me. I enjoy living here and life's been so good to me here."
Hessel was born in Garnavillo, Iowa and his family soon moved to Boone, Iowa, where he grew up with two sisters.
Hessel calls himself a "Depression baby" and remembers standing in line at a bakery to purchase a loaf of day-old bread for 5 cents. By age 7, he had his own garden and went door to door, selling his vegetables out of a wagon.
Throughout high school, Hessel held jobs as a theater usher, drug store clerk, news stand/bus depot clerk and bookkeeper, among others. The 1950 Boone High School graduate said he was an above-average student who wasn't involved in sports, but enjoyed being a part of the men's choir and other organizations.
After high school, Hessel attended Drake University - by then the economy was starting to turn around and his mother, a teacher, and his father, a railroad engineer, encouraged school.
After two years, he volunteered for the draft during the Korean Conflict. He spent most of his Army time in Alaska as a payroll and personnel clerk before returning to finish his bachelor's degree in accounting at Drake.
During his time at Drake, he had a course in government and accounting and wrote a term paper on a local hospital. After spending time with the administration there and learning about the financing, he gleaned a strong interest in the medical field.
He worked at Shell Oil Company, working in Minneapolis for four years before getting accepted into Health Administration program at the University of Iowa.
"I didn't apply until I felt I could afford to go back to school," he said.
He completed one year on campus and then spent a year doing administrative work in Seattle. Hessel was married during that time as well, at age 30, to Mima, a woman he had dated on and off for seven years. She passed away in 2007.
Hessel's first job out of graduate school was at a Methodist Hospital in Texas where he was the assistant to the administrator there. Since he knew he wanted to end up in medical management, and after working in Texas for four years, he was delighted when Monroe Clinic called, asking him to join its administrative team.
The couple moved here in 1966 and the Iowa natives were happy to be moving closer to home.
"It was a good move because we've been here ever since," he said with a smile. "We thought this was a nice community to raise a family."
Hessel loved the job. He spent 26 years as the Monroe Clinic's assistant, and then hospital administrator. When the hospital bought the clinic in 1992, Hessel wasn't ready to retire so he took an assistant position with a friend at the clinic in Beloit until he retired at the end of 1996.
"Retirement just wasn't for me," he said, noting that he is someone who loves to stay busy. "In my working years, I was a work-a-holic, I didn't have any time for hobbies - I never developed any other than reading and traveling."
To keep himself busy, he took a job with Colony Brands, driving as a courier for 14 years and retired from there.
But not really.
Soon he was voluntarily driving again, this time for the Aging and Disability Resource Center; the 84-year-old still drives people to appointments and other places a few times a week. He sees the value in the program and has gotten to know some wonderful people while doing it, he said.
Driving is something he's always enjoyed, and he still drives to Arizona each winter for a month where he enjoys time with friends and the nice weather.
Staying involved has always been important to Hessel, and in his early days in Monroe he served on the United Way, was a part of the first Business Improvement District and was a charter member of the Green County Chapter of the American Cancer Society. He has been a Kiwanian for 50 years and served as both secretary and treasurer. He was the chair of the United Methodist Church Board of Trustees at the time of the transfer of ownership of the Methodist Church to the Monroe Arts and Activities Center, serving two terms.
He also has had a lengthy relationship with Black Hawk Technical College, and is a charter member of the Black Hawk Technical College Foundation, and maintained an active role of the Board of Directors there. When he retired from the foundation, he had served a total of 32 years on the board in various positions. As the foundation director, he served two, three-year terms on the Board of Directors for the college.
He has always been a Monroe High School sports lover and follower. He served as the treasurer of the MHS Sports Booster Club for more than 25 years, starting when his oldest daughter was a sophomore in high school. He said he's proud to have seen so much success alongside Kenny Gratz.
One of the things he holds most dearly are his friendships - with relatives, former high school and college classmates and Army friends.
Hessel has spent an extensive amount of time traveling, and has been to every continent except Antarctica. Until his wife became ill, they traveled together. After her passing, Hessel decided he wanted to continue to travel, but not alone.
So, he made an offer to each of his six grandchildren when they turned 12. They could choose a trip to anywhere, with no limits. Just the two of them would take on the world, if you will. Hessel earned not only a travel companion, but a deeper relationship with each of them, learning more about them along the way.
"I think of all the places we went, the one that stuck with me most was Uganda, on an African safari with my granddaughter," he said. "We spent time in an orphanage in Entebbe, and they were all children who lost their parents due to AIDS. It was a heartwarming experience. I still support that orphanage financially. I'm not sure I'm up to going back - but I'd love to."
The trips have taken him to Scotland, Ireland, Paris, London twice and many other places - most recently the Dominican Republic. Some of the grandchildren wanted busy scenes, others wanted more mission-style trips - one wanted simply to relax and enjoy. But Hessel said they were each as different as his grandchildren are.
"They were all a lot of fun," he said.
Hessel has also enjoyed an Honor Flight with his youngest daughter accompanying him, and has wonderful memories of that.
Hessel is a charter member and served several years on the Monroe Clinic Foundation for Medical Research and Education, although the name has since changed. He also received recognition from Kiwanis International as a Hixson Fellow for dedicated service to the objectives of Kiwanis.
He was awarded a certificate of recognition during his time at Swiss Colony and named the Older Worker of the Year by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Program. He gave his time to the Tax Aide Program with AARP and the IRS and helped with tax returns at the Behring Senior Center. He is a lifelong member of the Methodist church and has served in many capacities over the years.
Hessel also holds lifetime memberships in Delta Sigma Pie, Alpha Ta Omega, the Medical Group Management Association, the American College of Hospital Administrators and the American College of Medical Practice Executives.
He said that Monroe has been home and he enjoys being a part of the community and meeting friends for coffee, attending Kiwanis meetings, church and traveling.
"My family has always been a most important part of my life for which I am eternally grateful," he said. "I just feel like this is the place for me. I enjoy living here and life's been so good to me here."