MONTICELLO - He's been known for more than 50 years as "Mr. Monticello," and many would agree that John Stenbroten rightfully earned that title. The longtime business owner spent decades taking pride in his family and community, working to better the area around him.
Through years of change and the ups and downs that come with business life, Stenbroten is most proud of the bustling times of growth and the heavy involvement where he brought honesty and clarity to Monticello.
Stenbroten was born in Bagon, Valdres, Norway, 90 miles north of Oslo in 1926. His parents, Oluf and Olga, brought him to the United States when he was 10 months old. His father spent seven years trying to find a sponsor before making the trek and when he did, the family settled in Adams Township in Green County. He said emigration was his family's last resort, and it wasn't easy to leave a beautiful country.
Much of Stenbroten's life growing up in Green County was spent on the farm. His parents first worked at Nybroten Farm, a rental, near Argyle. He said they spent much of his childhood debating their immigration and the things America offered compared to Norway.
Now at age 91, Stenbroten said one of his fondest memories is when at 8 years old he went with his father to the courthouse to hear the judge grant them citizenship.
By 1929 the depression hit. Stenbroten has memories of "depression tramps" at their door begging for food.
He attended Meadow Brook Grade School in the early 1930s and a few years later, the family moved to the "Jackson Farm" in York Township. There, he attended Postville Country School, in a new brick building with 44 students and a lone teacher. Law and order was brought to the students in ways that certainly wouldn't be acceptable today.
He graduated from Postville Grade School in 1940 and attended Blanchardville High School during World War II. He recalls many extracurriculars, including sports, were curtailed during that time, along with several other things that weren't absolute necessities.
But Stenbroten found enjoyment in music. He recalls watching Lawrence Welk come to Turner Hall in an old school bus, and he spent his free time at dances there. Eventually, a group of friends formed the Rhythm Ramblers Dance Band that included himself and friends Wesley Moe and Bob Wenger. The five-piece band played in the area often, with Stenbroten on the clarinet and saxophone.
After he met his wife, Bea Voegeli, whom he married in 1946, he eventually left the band.
He and Bea farmed outside of Monroe, saving enough money to purchase their own farm, but he decided instead to take another path. He had a farm sale in 1954, and the family moved to Main Street in Monticello. Stenbroten joined his father-in-law's business at Voegeli Chevrolet Buick and began selling cars at what was then a three-person operation.
As time passed, things quickly changed and grew, Stenbroten said. Competition was steep, and Green County had 28 new car dealers at that time.
"You were always struggling to beat your competition," Stenbroten said.
But going from a farmer to a car salesman wasn't as far-fetched as one might think.
"It's actually an advantage to do that," Stenbroten said. "You have a background of the rural area and you know the needs of the people. You are like them and you know what it's like. I was able to touch on things people could relate to closely - the ups and downs of life."
He also said it helped that he was fluent in Norwegian, and still is. At that time, he said he attracted Norwegian people while his father-in-law attracted the Swiss, a business match made in heaven.
Times were different then when it came to businesspeople; everyone wore a suit and tie, and he said it was his father-in-law who taught him the importance of professionalism. He said he received great training, advice and guidance from him as well.
"My father-in-law educated me, and I was able to learn from his mistakes," Stenbroten said.
In 1956, the dealership was flourishing and they built a new facility. Stenbroten took the helm as his father-in-law got older, although he said his predecessor stayed sharp until his death at 94. He incorporated his business, Voegeli Chevrolet & Buick, in 1973, and in 1995 he purchased Monticello Ford.
The business continues to be owned and operated by family. Stenbroten has four sons, three of whom are still involved with the car dealerships.
Despite having no college education, Stenbroten said he took a few college credits through GM training programs over the years and enhanced his education through the Northwest Automotive Institute in Milwaukee.
In the early days, Stenbroten said Monticello was a booming town with about 25 businesses. He wanted to continue that, and it wasn't long before he became involved. He was elected to serve on the Monticello Village Board several times. He served a total of 26 years and spent 22 of them as president.
He's proud of several things the village board accomplished through the years. Although tough times would come and go, Stenbroten worked hard to update the run-down water system and helped write almost all of the initial municipal statutes and ordinances for the town. He helped implement things like stop signs and speed limits.
In the late 1960s, Monticello started an Industrial Board and Stenbroten took the lead. He's proud he was part of bringing several businesses to town to offer work for local people. Within five years, Stenbroten said around 800 jobs were created in Monticello.
However, times would change again.
"It's a struggle to keep what you have," Stenbroten said. All small towns faced change where businesses were leaving. He continued to encourage local involvement and support from the community.
When Stenbroten became president of the village board, he helped implement an annual audit to keep a close eye on the books. He helped uncover an embezzlement in 1963.
"You need guts to stop issues," he said. "I was addressing things no one else wanted to."
In 1985, after more than two decades on the board, Stenbroten didn't run for another term. Instead, he led a successful recovery of the Monticello Development Corporation and was elected president there.
He was also asked to serve on the board of directors at the Bank of Monticello (now Greenwood State Bank) and served as its president in 1983 when an inappropriate transfer of funds was discovered. He retired from the board in 1997 after serving 29 years as a director and the last 14 years as president.
Stenbroten was also elected to the board of directors at Edelweiss Chalet Country Club for a three-year term and served as both secretary and treasurer as well as the chairman of the building committee. He is proud he was able to be a part of building a new club house, driving range, shop, car sheds and parking lot for the group.
He also served on a Commercial Club board consisting of only businesspeople, similar to a Chamber of Commerce, and was elected president in 1957. In the 1960s, they dedicated Lake Montesian - just one of many important projects - and were able to get help from the state and get several people involved to expand there. In 1981, the Monticello Business & Professional Association was established for businesspeople and ran until a few years ago when it was made into the Chamber of Commerce.
Stenbroten said his family was always important, and he feels lucky to have raised four boys in the 1960s with very few issues.
"I have good boys," he said. "I'm so fortunate. My wife did a good job."
The couple also had a daughter, Deanne, who lived just a few months with spina bifida, a birth defect, and died in 1947.
Through the years, Stenbroten has greatly enjoyed travel. He's been to Norway four times and Europe at least 11 times. He and Bea loved to attend the automobile conventions all over the world, attending famous speakers and seminars. He also enjoyed golfing whenever he could, and even more so once his boys took over more and more of the business.
His trips to Norway were spent getting to know several family members there, including around 40 cousins, one of whom he still talks with regularly.
Bea died in 2005, just before the couple's 59th wedding anniversary. Stenbroten still enjoys caring for their home and is proud of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He still enjoys his daily schedule. He spends his mornings playing cards and having coffee with friends, and on weekends he enjoys dancing at Turner Hall and the New Glarus Hotel.
"I've had a great life," Stenbroten said. "I've enjoyed every minute of it. I enjoy people."
He said his mother, who died in 1966, taught him to dress and groom himself as well as he could and told him to speak to everyone, even if they don't speak back. He still lives by words engrained in him by her:
"If you're not honest, you're nothing."
Through years of change and the ups and downs that come with business life, Stenbroten is most proud of the bustling times of growth and the heavy involvement where he brought honesty and clarity to Monticello.
Stenbroten was born in Bagon, Valdres, Norway, 90 miles north of Oslo in 1926. His parents, Oluf and Olga, brought him to the United States when he was 10 months old. His father spent seven years trying to find a sponsor before making the trek and when he did, the family settled in Adams Township in Green County. He said emigration was his family's last resort, and it wasn't easy to leave a beautiful country.
Much of Stenbroten's life growing up in Green County was spent on the farm. His parents first worked at Nybroten Farm, a rental, near Argyle. He said they spent much of his childhood debating their immigration and the things America offered compared to Norway.
Now at age 91, Stenbroten said one of his fondest memories is when at 8 years old he went with his father to the courthouse to hear the judge grant them citizenship.
By 1929 the depression hit. Stenbroten has memories of "depression tramps" at their door begging for food.
He attended Meadow Brook Grade School in the early 1930s and a few years later, the family moved to the "Jackson Farm" in York Township. There, he attended Postville Country School, in a new brick building with 44 students and a lone teacher. Law and order was brought to the students in ways that certainly wouldn't be acceptable today.
He graduated from Postville Grade School in 1940 and attended Blanchardville High School during World War II. He recalls many extracurriculars, including sports, were curtailed during that time, along with several other things that weren't absolute necessities.
But Stenbroten found enjoyment in music. He recalls watching Lawrence Welk come to Turner Hall in an old school bus, and he spent his free time at dances there. Eventually, a group of friends formed the Rhythm Ramblers Dance Band that included himself and friends Wesley Moe and Bob Wenger. The five-piece band played in the area often, with Stenbroten on the clarinet and saxophone.
After he met his wife, Bea Voegeli, whom he married in 1946, he eventually left the band.
He and Bea farmed outside of Monroe, saving enough money to purchase their own farm, but he decided instead to take another path. He had a farm sale in 1954, and the family moved to Main Street in Monticello. Stenbroten joined his father-in-law's business at Voegeli Chevrolet Buick and began selling cars at what was then a three-person operation.
As time passed, things quickly changed and grew, Stenbroten said. Competition was steep, and Green County had 28 new car dealers at that time.
"You were always struggling to beat your competition," Stenbroten said.
But going from a farmer to a car salesman wasn't as far-fetched as one might think.
"It's actually an advantage to do that," Stenbroten said. "You have a background of the rural area and you know the needs of the people. You are like them and you know what it's like. I was able to touch on things people could relate to closely - the ups and downs of life."
He also said it helped that he was fluent in Norwegian, and still is. At that time, he said he attracted Norwegian people while his father-in-law attracted the Swiss, a business match made in heaven.
Times were different then when it came to businesspeople; everyone wore a suit and tie, and he said it was his father-in-law who taught him the importance of professionalism. He said he received great training, advice and guidance from him as well.
"My father-in-law educated me, and I was able to learn from his mistakes," Stenbroten said.
In 1956, the dealership was flourishing and they built a new facility. Stenbroten took the helm as his father-in-law got older, although he said his predecessor stayed sharp until his death at 94. He incorporated his business, Voegeli Chevrolet & Buick, in 1973, and in 1995 he purchased Monticello Ford.
The business continues to be owned and operated by family. Stenbroten has four sons, three of whom are still involved with the car dealerships.
Despite having no college education, Stenbroten said he took a few college credits through GM training programs over the years and enhanced his education through the Northwest Automotive Institute in Milwaukee.
In the early days, Stenbroten said Monticello was a booming town with about 25 businesses. He wanted to continue that, and it wasn't long before he became involved. He was elected to serve on the Monticello Village Board several times. He served a total of 26 years and spent 22 of them as president.
He's proud of several things the village board accomplished through the years. Although tough times would come and go, Stenbroten worked hard to update the run-down water system and helped write almost all of the initial municipal statutes and ordinances for the town. He helped implement things like stop signs and speed limits.
In the late 1960s, Monticello started an Industrial Board and Stenbroten took the lead. He's proud he was part of bringing several businesses to town to offer work for local people. Within five years, Stenbroten said around 800 jobs were created in Monticello.
However, times would change again.
"It's a struggle to keep what you have," Stenbroten said. All small towns faced change where businesses were leaving. He continued to encourage local involvement and support from the community.
When Stenbroten became president of the village board, he helped implement an annual audit to keep a close eye on the books. He helped uncover an embezzlement in 1963.
"You need guts to stop issues," he said. "I was addressing things no one else wanted to."
In 1985, after more than two decades on the board, Stenbroten didn't run for another term. Instead, he led a successful recovery of the Monticello Development Corporation and was elected president there.
He was also asked to serve on the board of directors at the Bank of Monticello (now Greenwood State Bank) and served as its president in 1983 when an inappropriate transfer of funds was discovered. He retired from the board in 1997 after serving 29 years as a director and the last 14 years as president.
Stenbroten was also elected to the board of directors at Edelweiss Chalet Country Club for a three-year term and served as both secretary and treasurer as well as the chairman of the building committee. He is proud he was able to be a part of building a new club house, driving range, shop, car sheds and parking lot for the group.
He also served on a Commercial Club board consisting of only businesspeople, similar to a Chamber of Commerce, and was elected president in 1957. In the 1960s, they dedicated Lake Montesian - just one of many important projects - and were able to get help from the state and get several people involved to expand there. In 1981, the Monticello Business & Professional Association was established for businesspeople and ran until a few years ago when it was made into the Chamber of Commerce.
Stenbroten said his family was always important, and he feels lucky to have raised four boys in the 1960s with very few issues.
"I have good boys," he said. "I'm so fortunate. My wife did a good job."
The couple also had a daughter, Deanne, who lived just a few months with spina bifida, a birth defect, and died in 1947.
Through the years, Stenbroten has greatly enjoyed travel. He's been to Norway four times and Europe at least 11 times. He and Bea loved to attend the automobile conventions all over the world, attending famous speakers and seminars. He also enjoyed golfing whenever he could, and even more so once his boys took over more and more of the business.
His trips to Norway were spent getting to know several family members there, including around 40 cousins, one of whom he still talks with regularly.
Bea died in 2005, just before the couple's 59th wedding anniversary. Stenbroten still enjoys caring for their home and is proud of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He still enjoys his daily schedule. He spends his mornings playing cards and having coffee with friends, and on weekends he enjoys dancing at Turner Hall and the New Glarus Hotel.
"I've had a great life," Stenbroten said. "I've enjoyed every minute of it. I enjoy people."
He said his mother, who died in 1966, taught him to dress and groom himself as well as he could and told him to speak to everyone, even if they don't speak back. He still lives by words engrained in him by her:
"If you're not honest, you're nothing."