MONROE - Bernie Schulz of Monroe spent more than four decades as the voice on WEKZ radio sharing recipes and interviewing local residents. And now the woman who loves to stay busy has plenty of opportunities and interests in her back pocket to stay that way. The most important things haven't changed at all - doing what she loves while spending time with those closest to her.
She was born in Bloomer, at home on the farm as the oldest of five children. Her father farmed with her grandparents, who lived across the road, and soon met her mother, who taught at the rural school.
Schulz attended Brush Prairie School in the country and sometimes St. Paul's Parochial School, depending on when the bus would run. She was very involved in 4-H and contributed lots of home-economics projects.
On her 16th birthday, her father took her to town to get her driver's license so she could haul milk in the family's little red pick-up truck to the creamery before driving herself to school. She said she has wonderful memories of helping her mother in the kitchen and the garden but rarely having to help with milking and other farm chores.
In high school, Schulz was the first Future Homemakers of America president. After she graduated in 1949, Schulz hoped to attend Stout Institute, now University of Wisconsin-Stout, because the school had a specific program for home economics and industrial arts. Her mother encouraged her to attend.
To earn tuition money, Schulz sold bait with her brothers, digging angle worms and minnows to make some extra cash. One summer she worked at a rubber factory in Eau Claire for a short time.
Schulz made close friendships at college, and on graduation day in 1953, a group of six vowed to keep in touch, a promise they have upheld to this day. They have continued a round-robin letter exchange, sending correspondence around the group, something very special to Schultz.
Schulz wanted to work for the UW-Extension; she interviewed for a Green County position and got it. She began the job late because she had plans to go to the National 4-H conference in Washington, D.C., and then had to purchase her first car in order to get to work.
When Schulz began the job, a young woman who had attended UW-Madison landed a job in Monroe at Wisconsin Power & Light. The two connected and decided to live together, becoming close friends.
"Every time I walk by that third-floor apartment, I still think that was my first home," she said.
Both women ended up meeting their husbands in Monroe. Schulz was proud to marry a lettercarrier, a job her son now holds. She stayed at the Extension job for almost two years as the Assistant Home Agent, a fairly new position she found very interesting.
Once her roommate decided to leave the job at Wisconsin Power & Light, Schulz took over for several years.
Although it wasn't her plan, Schulz taught evening classes at Blackhawk Technical College, helping develop classes and even team-teaching. She recalls classes such as "Add Spice to Your Life" where she taught about adding spices to meals and teaching several classes on microwave cooking.
On Oct. 2, 1972, Schulz began her career in radio at the Monroe radio station after the manager asked her to come on the air. She was a stay-at-home-mom at the time but always kept busy with part-time work. She agreed, and it was the beginning of an almost 44-year career in which she completed more than 11,000 interviews.
Schulz immediately loved the job.
"You're meeting new people and learning new things all the time," she said.
Periodically, someone would ask if she had ever interviewed someone famous, but the question makes her laugh. She was a member of the American Women in Radio & Television in the past and once attended a conference where she interviewed Captain Kangaroo and a Miss America pageant winner, but she said it didn't compare to her regular interviews of people around Monroe.
"I'd rather hear from the state FFA officer or what the kids are prepping for in local schools," she said.
She recalls her first show and interview as if it were yesterday, and her recipe - Banana Brunch Bars - that for several years people asked for time and again.
Many of her interviewees became close friends, and she said she will always remember people from the YMCA, UWEX, the Monroe Public Library, the Green County Historical Society, the Humane Society, Monroe Clinic, local churches, the Bel Canto Singers, Madison author Jerry Apps and others who were regularly scheduled with her.
A year ago, Schulz and fellow radio personality Martha Bernet enjoyed a party at Turner Hall where they received several cards. She said she's still receiving well-wishes, and they mean a lot to her. She often reads and re-reads the cards from special friends and never thought so many would come out to honor her for her time at the station.
It made clear the many lives she has touched.
"The regular (interviewees) were the special ones for me," she said, noting that she enjoyed the continuity of community events.
She conducted her last interview on May 11. It was a tough goodbye for Schulz.
"It was hard to tell everyone, but I treasure the hugs I got when I told them we ran our last program," she said. "They were all so wonderful, and I do keep in touch with them."
Through the years, Schulz found several other interests to keep her busy. She was a Green County 4-H Leader, taught at BTC and in 1990 became a Hospice volunteer. Schulz also joined a bereavement service committee where she sends cards and follows up with people 15 months after the death of a loved one and is into her fourth year of seasonal work for Colony Brands. Schulz was also an avid blood donor for several years.
She said she has always felt a strong need to be busy, and it hasn't subsided.
For fun, Schulz shares with her sister a special interest in rubber-stamping, and two groups come to her home to work on hand-made cards. They also meet at the senior center with stampers and scrapbookers.
She and her husband, Howard, who died in 2007, have four children and now have nine grandchildren. Schulz said she has enough family involved locally that she can attend athletic events, dance recitals and other functions whenever she wants. She feels fortunate to have two of her children living in town and loves spending time with family.
Howard was a Monroe memorabilia collector, and Schulz is happy to still have his collection to enjoy. The couple regularly enjoyed bus trips organized through the senior center and enjoyed visiting antique shops in the past. She is also a new National Historic Cheesemaking Center volunteer.
Schulz remembers clearly the day in 1953 when she came to Monroe for that job interview after her college graduation. Someone told her that if she got the job, she would probably never leave. It was dark by the time she left, and she loved seeing the Courthouse lit up at night.
"I remember that feeling when I realized I had been here longer than any place else," she said. "This was so quickly my home."
She was born in Bloomer, at home on the farm as the oldest of five children. Her father farmed with her grandparents, who lived across the road, and soon met her mother, who taught at the rural school.
Schulz attended Brush Prairie School in the country and sometimes St. Paul's Parochial School, depending on when the bus would run. She was very involved in 4-H and contributed lots of home-economics projects.
On her 16th birthday, her father took her to town to get her driver's license so she could haul milk in the family's little red pick-up truck to the creamery before driving herself to school. She said she has wonderful memories of helping her mother in the kitchen and the garden but rarely having to help with milking and other farm chores.
In high school, Schulz was the first Future Homemakers of America president. After she graduated in 1949, Schulz hoped to attend Stout Institute, now University of Wisconsin-Stout, because the school had a specific program for home economics and industrial arts. Her mother encouraged her to attend.
To earn tuition money, Schulz sold bait with her brothers, digging angle worms and minnows to make some extra cash. One summer she worked at a rubber factory in Eau Claire for a short time.
Schulz made close friendships at college, and on graduation day in 1953, a group of six vowed to keep in touch, a promise they have upheld to this day. They have continued a round-robin letter exchange, sending correspondence around the group, something very special to Schultz.
Schulz wanted to work for the UW-Extension; she interviewed for a Green County position and got it. She began the job late because she had plans to go to the National 4-H conference in Washington, D.C., and then had to purchase her first car in order to get to work.
When Schulz began the job, a young woman who had attended UW-Madison landed a job in Monroe at Wisconsin Power & Light. The two connected and decided to live together, becoming close friends.
"Every time I walk by that third-floor apartment, I still think that was my first home," she said.
Both women ended up meeting their husbands in Monroe. Schulz was proud to marry a lettercarrier, a job her son now holds. She stayed at the Extension job for almost two years as the Assistant Home Agent, a fairly new position she found very interesting.
Once her roommate decided to leave the job at Wisconsin Power & Light, Schulz took over for several years.
Although it wasn't her plan, Schulz taught evening classes at Blackhawk Technical College, helping develop classes and even team-teaching. She recalls classes such as "Add Spice to Your Life" where she taught about adding spices to meals and teaching several classes on microwave cooking.
On Oct. 2, 1972, Schulz began her career in radio at the Monroe radio station after the manager asked her to come on the air. She was a stay-at-home-mom at the time but always kept busy with part-time work. She agreed, and it was the beginning of an almost 44-year career in which she completed more than 11,000 interviews.
Schulz immediately loved the job.
"You're meeting new people and learning new things all the time," she said.
Periodically, someone would ask if she had ever interviewed someone famous, but the question makes her laugh. She was a member of the American Women in Radio & Television in the past and once attended a conference where she interviewed Captain Kangaroo and a Miss America pageant winner, but she said it didn't compare to her regular interviews of people around Monroe.
"I'd rather hear from the state FFA officer or what the kids are prepping for in local schools," she said.
She recalls her first show and interview as if it were yesterday, and her recipe - Banana Brunch Bars - that for several years people asked for time and again.
Many of her interviewees became close friends, and she said she will always remember people from the YMCA, UWEX, the Monroe Public Library, the Green County Historical Society, the Humane Society, Monroe Clinic, local churches, the Bel Canto Singers, Madison author Jerry Apps and others who were regularly scheduled with her.
A year ago, Schulz and fellow radio personality Martha Bernet enjoyed a party at Turner Hall where they received several cards. She said she's still receiving well-wishes, and they mean a lot to her. She often reads and re-reads the cards from special friends and never thought so many would come out to honor her for her time at the station.
It made clear the many lives she has touched.
"The regular (interviewees) were the special ones for me," she said, noting that she enjoyed the continuity of community events.
She conducted her last interview on May 11. It was a tough goodbye for Schulz.
"It was hard to tell everyone, but I treasure the hugs I got when I told them we ran our last program," she said. "They were all so wonderful, and I do keep in touch with them."
Through the years, Schulz found several other interests to keep her busy. She was a Green County 4-H Leader, taught at BTC and in 1990 became a Hospice volunteer. Schulz also joined a bereavement service committee where she sends cards and follows up with people 15 months after the death of a loved one and is into her fourth year of seasonal work for Colony Brands. Schulz was also an avid blood donor for several years.
She said she has always felt a strong need to be busy, and it hasn't subsided.
For fun, Schulz shares with her sister a special interest in rubber-stamping, and two groups come to her home to work on hand-made cards. They also meet at the senior center with stampers and scrapbookers.
She and her husband, Howard, who died in 2007, have four children and now have nine grandchildren. Schulz said she has enough family involved locally that she can attend athletic events, dance recitals and other functions whenever she wants. She feels fortunate to have two of her children living in town and loves spending time with family.
Howard was a Monroe memorabilia collector, and Schulz is happy to still have his collection to enjoy. The couple regularly enjoyed bus trips organized through the senior center and enjoyed visiting antique shops in the past. She is also a new National Historic Cheesemaking Center volunteer.
Schulz remembers clearly the day in 1953 when she came to Monroe for that job interview after her college graduation. Someone told her that if she got the job, she would probably never leave. It was dark by the time she left, and she loved seeing the Courthouse lit up at night.
"I remember that feeling when I realized I had been here longer than any place else," she said. "This was so quickly my home."