MONROE - Maybe it's the long line of hardworking women who preceded Janeen Babler, or maybe it was the artist within her that needed to surface.
Either way, the landscape around the Monroe area would be very different had the Monroe graduate not made her way back here and found a passion, a love and a talent that not only appealed to her own heritage but to so many others.
The projects Babler has done in the surrounding area are far too many to list, but if you've been in any Monroe business or the home of a Swiss immigrant, you've probably noticed a Janeen Joy original. Her given middle name, Joy, was the perfect coincidence for the love she felt and put into her work.
She was born in Monroe, one of the earliest babies to be born in St. Clare Hospital and her parents' first child and the first grandchild on both sides of her family. It was the beginning of World War II and her father was in the National Guard, so the family moved in with her grandmother and made do.
Over the years, Babler moved often until eventually the family landed in Des Plaines, Illinois. Still, they would come back often to visit her grandmother in Monroe.
"Monroe always seemed to be our hub," Babler said. "We always loved to come back here."
Babler is happy the family eventually moved back to Monroe, where she would spend all four years of high school. Her father had purchased a gas business and although the family didn't have much, she said she had a loving home and made the best of it. She has wonderful memories of popping popcorn on Sunday evenings while listening to Roy Rogers on the radio.
Babler was active in school as a cheerleader, served on the student council, and was the homecoming queen and yearbook editor. She was also a lifeguard and instructor at the pool, a job she held in the summertime.
She had such a knack for modern dance that some pushed her to pursue it as a career. But Babler knew she wanted to become a teacher and decided to attend Carroll College, now Carroll University in Waukesha.
She stayed active in college as well, participating in student council, and started a modern dance program with other students and directed it.
"I seem to have the personality to mean what I do," Babler said with a smile.
She married after graduating from college and worked as a lifeguard, waitress and hostess. She finally landed a job in Spencer, Indiana, teaching sixth grade and was happy with her salary of $4,300. It wasn't long before she had her son, Scott, and 16 months later, a daughter, Cathy. The family was moving often and as the children got older, Babler worked as a substitute teacher.
Eventually, Babler divorced and decided it was important to be near family. That decision brought her back to Monroe. Her mother lived here, and as mothers often do, she wanted to help her daughter. She brought Babler an easel so she could paint. While her children were younger, Babler painted often and took several adult education classes in New York, but had stopped as life became busier.
"Painting was something I could feel as a fun adventure," she said. "It's like problem-solving on canvas. It suited me."
Cheese Days was right around the corner, and Babler didn't hesitate to reach out and get involved. It gave her the opportunity to meet people. She ended up entering the Cheese Days art show, and it helped get her name out - she even sold some of her work that year.
It was a time in Babler's life when she was hoping to learn more about herself, and painting was the perfect outlet. Before then, she said, she hadn't paid much attention to her roots - or her Swiss, German and Irish heritage - and suddenly felt a strong urge to do that.
Soon, Babler met her husband, David, a man she said has been a wonderful support system for her and father for her children. They married in 1984, and the couple has undergone amazing adventures including cross country skiing, tennis, road races and several marathons together.
Eventually, a friend from high school introduced Babler to an artist from Switzerland. That meeting became the beginning of a friendship and work relationship that would shape her painting career. Babler would spend hours and days referencing files and books on Swiss folk painting to create a niche that felt right to her.
Soon, she was doing so well that she had constant work. She was often on a scaffold or two, inside businesses or homes or working on fine art pieces for those who loved her paintings. She was offered an opportunity to paint in conjunction with a Swiss carving shop at the New Glarus Hotel.
Her children were in college by then, and Babler decided to take the opportunity that required her to live in Switzerland for several weeks while she studied the craft.
"I think my time there changed my life," Babler said.
Eventually, the painter from Switzerland stopped coming to Wisconsin and the hotel shop closed. Babler was able to take even more knowledge from him after being invited back to Switzerland to study there several times.
"(The people in Switzerland) are like family to me," Babler said. "We've become lifelong friends."
Babler was receiving more and more work and was glad to have a specialty. But she never stopped doing fine art, her original interest. Her career in painting took off in the late 1980s and she said she was as busy as she could be.
In the midst of it all, Babler was diagnosed with breast cancer. She would schedule her radiation treatments as early as she could so she could be back on the scaffold by 9 a.m. painting.
"I never got tired or sick because I was so motivated to get back to work," she said. "I loved doing it."
She feels lucky at how supportive David was during those times.
Babler considers herself a perfectionist and said that likely came from her mother and grandmother. She was raised by and around strong women who often yodeled, were musically inclined and always made the best with what they were given.
Her love for teaching never really stopped either. In 1984 Babler decided she wanted to teach again and organized a seminar in New Glarus to teach Swiss folk painting classes. She continued those classes up until last summer, more recently held in Monroe - and one student attended every one.
In the 1990s, Babler teamed up with Gottlieb Brandli Sr., and the two lectured at the Smithsonian in 1992, and in 1994 they held an exhibit and lecture in Zurich, Switzerland, at the Swiss National Museum.
Five years ago, Babler decided it was time to retire.
"It was so much fun and it brought me so much pleasure and joy," Babler said. "It's been a wonderful adventure and certainly one of the highlights of my life."
Babler and David have traveled a lot to places including Ireland, England, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Russia and even through the Panama Canal, to name a few.
Today, Babler paints a little less than she used to but enjoys seeing her work around town and is happy it's still being enjoyed by so many. She enjoys reading, and wellness activities at the Senior Center, and she walks every day. She enjoys keeping up with her children, two grandchildren and friends in the area - and David, of course. She's also beat cancer a second time and is a big proponent of mammograms.
Babler used to serve on the Turner Hall board of directors, the Woman's Club and the Historical Cheesemaking Center Board. She also served on the United Way board and was president. She is currently a member of Swiss Singers and has been for about 20 years. She is a member of St. John's United Church of Christ and sang in its sanctuary choir for 24 years.
Persistence, Babler said, is what's kept her going through the years despite some difficult times. She said that, along with her strong faith, have been sources of strength.
"Over most of my adult life, my artwork has brought me joy and rewards in directions I never could have imagined," she said.
Either way, the landscape around the Monroe area would be very different had the Monroe graduate not made her way back here and found a passion, a love and a talent that not only appealed to her own heritage but to so many others.
The projects Babler has done in the surrounding area are far too many to list, but if you've been in any Monroe business or the home of a Swiss immigrant, you've probably noticed a Janeen Joy original. Her given middle name, Joy, was the perfect coincidence for the love she felt and put into her work.
She was born in Monroe, one of the earliest babies to be born in St. Clare Hospital and her parents' first child and the first grandchild on both sides of her family. It was the beginning of World War II and her father was in the National Guard, so the family moved in with her grandmother and made do.
Over the years, Babler moved often until eventually the family landed in Des Plaines, Illinois. Still, they would come back often to visit her grandmother in Monroe.
"Monroe always seemed to be our hub," Babler said. "We always loved to come back here."
Babler is happy the family eventually moved back to Monroe, where she would spend all four years of high school. Her father had purchased a gas business and although the family didn't have much, she said she had a loving home and made the best of it. She has wonderful memories of popping popcorn on Sunday evenings while listening to Roy Rogers on the radio.
Babler was active in school as a cheerleader, served on the student council, and was the homecoming queen and yearbook editor. She was also a lifeguard and instructor at the pool, a job she held in the summertime.
She had such a knack for modern dance that some pushed her to pursue it as a career. But Babler knew she wanted to become a teacher and decided to attend Carroll College, now Carroll University in Waukesha.
She stayed active in college as well, participating in student council, and started a modern dance program with other students and directed it.
"I seem to have the personality to mean what I do," Babler said with a smile.
She married after graduating from college and worked as a lifeguard, waitress and hostess. She finally landed a job in Spencer, Indiana, teaching sixth grade and was happy with her salary of $4,300. It wasn't long before she had her son, Scott, and 16 months later, a daughter, Cathy. The family was moving often and as the children got older, Babler worked as a substitute teacher.
Eventually, Babler divorced and decided it was important to be near family. That decision brought her back to Monroe. Her mother lived here, and as mothers often do, she wanted to help her daughter. She brought Babler an easel so she could paint. While her children were younger, Babler painted often and took several adult education classes in New York, but had stopped as life became busier.
"Painting was something I could feel as a fun adventure," she said. "It's like problem-solving on canvas. It suited me."
Cheese Days was right around the corner, and Babler didn't hesitate to reach out and get involved. It gave her the opportunity to meet people. She ended up entering the Cheese Days art show, and it helped get her name out - she even sold some of her work that year.
It was a time in Babler's life when she was hoping to learn more about herself, and painting was the perfect outlet. Before then, she said, she hadn't paid much attention to her roots - or her Swiss, German and Irish heritage - and suddenly felt a strong urge to do that.
Soon, Babler met her husband, David, a man she said has been a wonderful support system for her and father for her children. They married in 1984, and the couple has undergone amazing adventures including cross country skiing, tennis, road races and several marathons together.
Eventually, a friend from high school introduced Babler to an artist from Switzerland. That meeting became the beginning of a friendship and work relationship that would shape her painting career. Babler would spend hours and days referencing files and books on Swiss folk painting to create a niche that felt right to her.
Soon, she was doing so well that she had constant work. She was often on a scaffold or two, inside businesses or homes or working on fine art pieces for those who loved her paintings. She was offered an opportunity to paint in conjunction with a Swiss carving shop at the New Glarus Hotel.
Her children were in college by then, and Babler decided to take the opportunity that required her to live in Switzerland for several weeks while she studied the craft.
"I think my time there changed my life," Babler said.
Eventually, the painter from Switzerland stopped coming to Wisconsin and the hotel shop closed. Babler was able to take even more knowledge from him after being invited back to Switzerland to study there several times.
"(The people in Switzerland) are like family to me," Babler said. "We've become lifelong friends."
Babler was receiving more and more work and was glad to have a specialty. But she never stopped doing fine art, her original interest. Her career in painting took off in the late 1980s and she said she was as busy as she could be.
In the midst of it all, Babler was diagnosed with breast cancer. She would schedule her radiation treatments as early as she could so she could be back on the scaffold by 9 a.m. painting.
"I never got tired or sick because I was so motivated to get back to work," she said. "I loved doing it."
She feels lucky at how supportive David was during those times.
Babler considers herself a perfectionist and said that likely came from her mother and grandmother. She was raised by and around strong women who often yodeled, were musically inclined and always made the best with what they were given.
Her love for teaching never really stopped either. In 1984 Babler decided she wanted to teach again and organized a seminar in New Glarus to teach Swiss folk painting classes. She continued those classes up until last summer, more recently held in Monroe - and one student attended every one.
In the 1990s, Babler teamed up with Gottlieb Brandli Sr., and the two lectured at the Smithsonian in 1992, and in 1994 they held an exhibit and lecture in Zurich, Switzerland, at the Swiss National Museum.
Five years ago, Babler decided it was time to retire.
"It was so much fun and it brought me so much pleasure and joy," Babler said. "It's been a wonderful adventure and certainly one of the highlights of my life."
Babler and David have traveled a lot to places including Ireland, England, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Russia and even through the Panama Canal, to name a few.
Today, Babler paints a little less than she used to but enjoys seeing her work around town and is happy it's still being enjoyed by so many. She enjoys reading, and wellness activities at the Senior Center, and she walks every day. She enjoys keeping up with her children, two grandchildren and friends in the area - and David, of course. She's also beat cancer a second time and is a big proponent of mammograms.
Babler used to serve on the Turner Hall board of directors, the Woman's Club and the Historical Cheesemaking Center Board. She also served on the United Way board and was president. She is currently a member of Swiss Singers and has been for about 20 years. She is a member of St. John's United Church of Christ and sang in its sanctuary choir for 24 years.
Persistence, Babler said, is what's kept her going through the years despite some difficult times. She said that, along with her strong faith, have been sources of strength.
"Over most of my adult life, my artwork has brought me joy and rewards in directions I never could have imagined," she said.