Moments in Time
Moments in Time is a weekly series featuring recollections of area residents. To suggest someone to feature in Moments in Time, please contact Mary Jane Grenzow, editor, at editor@themonroetimes.com.
MONROE - John Prien has spent his lifetime surrounded by children - teaching, coaching and enjoying the camaraderie that encompassed his career and long-time summer job. It seems he was always overscheduled, but he looks back fondly on the group that surrounded him as he happily filled his days and nights.
Prien was one of the first babies born at St. Clare Hospital back in 1939, and he says he never considered leaving the town where he was born and raised.
"Monroe's a great place to raise kids today," Prien said. "But back in our day, it was even better." He recalls riding his bike all over town, heading home for lunch on school days, and wonderful teachers in the classroom.
He was an average student, he says, and feels lucky to have been part of the close-knit Class of 1957. School was a busy time, and Prien almost always had a paper route. After his route was finished, he would head to Goodmiller ice cream factory, owned by his stepfather, and work there.
Once he graduated, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with the hope of one day becoming a game warden. But those jobs were hard to come by and Prien decided to return to Monroe and enroll at the Green County Teachers College while he worked downtown at the A&P Store.
Although he enrolled in the teachers college, Prien admits that profession was the furthest thing from his mind. He was hoping to receive a call from the Coast Guard. He had enlisted in 1958, but finally gave up that dream, hearing from recruiters that they had already reached their quota.
Prien graduated from the teachers college in 1960 and was planning to start work at Swiss Colony the following Monday. But before he did, he received a call from Franklin School in Evansville. It was four weeks into its school year and desperately needed a teacher for the final year of the country school before it would move into Evansville.
At first, Prien declined the job.
But he finally agreed to observe the classroom for a day. Before he left, a sixth-grader came up to him and snickered, "I wonder how long you'll last."
It was then that Prien decided to take on the role of teaching 18 children in one room. Most of the students were older, but there were two second-grade boys Prien adored.
"I fell in love with (my students), Prien said. "It was a good bunch."
Prien felt his call to teach after that year and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to complete his degree. He landed his first job in Dakota, Illinois, for two years before heading to New Glarus, where he taught fourth and fifth grade from 1964-1969.
Both Prien's and his wife Mary Jo's parents lived in Monroe and he eventually planned to teach there. When a job opened up at East School teaching sixth grade, he took it. He lived a block away and taught there for six years. He enjoyed the students and says he felt like it was family.
When a math position opened at the middle school, Prien decided he was ready for a change and took a position teaching eighth-grade math, a place he'd stay for 25 years. He also coached freshman basketball for six years, helped coach girls high school track, middle school basketball and track for girls and boys, and also served as the athletic director for the last 15 years of his career before he retired.
Prien was directly behind the start of the girls basketball program at the middle school and recalls their first game vividly. The first night of practice the girls were hesitant to come out of the locker room, not wanting to be seen in shorts. Female athletics were just coming into play, and Prien's wife was a big sports lover - and always felt that the girls were cheated by not being able to be involved.
That same timid team won their first game 8-6, and four years later they made it to the state championship, losing in Madison, but coming so far from where they had started.
Prien decided to retire at midterm in 2000, after almost 40 years. He says he was ready, and the school was in the midst of change. He wanted to be available for his mother and mother-in-law, as well as a beloved ailing dog at home who spent eight years paralyzed.
"In all of my years of teaching, I worked with great staff and great principals," he said, noting that he worked at the middle school with his two best friends. "And great kids. Our kids are special, I think."
Behind the plate
In 1960, Recreation Director Bob Wells asked Prien if he'd like to work the after-school programs while he was attending the teachers college, and Prien agreed.
One evening they needed an umpire for fast pitch, and Prien stepped up to do it. "I was terrible," he said with a laugh. "But I learned."
And learn he did. Starting in 1961, Prien umpired more than 200 games per year for 25 years while he ran the slow pitch program as the Slow Pitch Commissioner, kept his own book and used his journalism minor to write and submit stories and information to the newspaper. He kept all of the records and took time each day to check the fields. He umpired four nights a week and umpired rainouts on the weekends. The slow pitch program took off and at one point, there were 40 teams involved.
He did play slow pitch for just a couple years - but always felt more comfortable running the program rather than running the bases, he said.
"Everyone got along so well," he said, noting that he met many people and made lifelong friends. "There were just great guys playing."
The tight schedule ran 45-minute games, and everyone seemed to get along. The trash talking stayed minimal, Prien said with a smile, except maybe for the wives in the stands.
"There was never much controversy," he recalls. "I had good people working with me. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do it."
At one point, Prien was taking morning classes at Platteville, coaching the children's programs in the afternoons and heading to slow pitch at night.
He recalls two no-hitters over the years, back when they were using 16-inch "pumpkin" balls.
Because of his heavy community involvement and hard work, Prien earned himself the Monroe Jaycees Outstanding Junior Citizen in 1973.
Keep moving
In high school, Prien wasn't much for sports but found a love for boxing after his aunt's husband boxed in New York. He boxed with the Golden Gloves for four years, in his later high school years and into college.
"I won a few and lost a few," he said with a smile. "But I enjoyed it."
Prien is an active person and loves to keep moving. He is a two-time cancer survivor and spends his days now at Anytime Fitness or on the golf course.
"I think exercise cures a lot of ills and I like to keep this old body moving forward," he said.
The couple has a large garden, and they share their bounty with many in Monroe. Prien is a Fantasy Football player, was involved with the Meals on Wheels program and was a big biker until recently. Prien and his wife also love animals and have fond memories of beloved pets, most recently a special dog named Big Guy.
Prien was one of the first babies born at St. Clare Hospital back in 1939, and he says he never considered leaving the town where he was born and raised.
"Monroe's a great place to raise kids today," Prien said. "But back in our day, it was even better." He recalls riding his bike all over town, heading home for lunch on school days, and wonderful teachers in the classroom.
He was an average student, he says, and feels lucky to have been part of the close-knit Class of 1957. School was a busy time, and Prien almost always had a paper route. After his route was finished, he would head to Goodmiller ice cream factory, owned by his stepfather, and work there.
Once he graduated, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with the hope of one day becoming a game warden. But those jobs were hard to come by and Prien decided to return to Monroe and enroll at the Green County Teachers College while he worked downtown at the A&P Store.
Although he enrolled in the teachers college, Prien admits that profession was the furthest thing from his mind. He was hoping to receive a call from the Coast Guard. He had enlisted in 1958, but finally gave up that dream, hearing from recruiters that they had already reached their quota.
Prien graduated from the teachers college in 1960 and was planning to start work at Swiss Colony the following Monday. But before he did, he received a call from Franklin School in Evansville. It was four weeks into its school year and desperately needed a teacher for the final year of the country school before it would move into Evansville.
At first, Prien declined the job.
But he finally agreed to observe the classroom for a day. Before he left, a sixth-grader came up to him and snickered, "I wonder how long you'll last."
It was then that Prien decided to take on the role of teaching 18 children in one room. Most of the students were older, but there were two second-grade boys Prien adored.
"I fell in love with (my students), Prien said. "It was a good bunch."
Prien felt his call to teach after that year and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to complete his degree. He landed his first job in Dakota, Illinois, for two years before heading to New Glarus, where he taught fourth and fifth grade from 1964-1969.
Both Prien's and his wife Mary Jo's parents lived in Monroe and he eventually planned to teach there. When a job opened up at East School teaching sixth grade, he took it. He lived a block away and taught there for six years. He enjoyed the students and says he felt like it was family.
When a math position opened at the middle school, Prien decided he was ready for a change and took a position teaching eighth-grade math, a place he'd stay for 25 years. He also coached freshman basketball for six years, helped coach girls high school track, middle school basketball and track for girls and boys, and also served as the athletic director for the last 15 years of his career before he retired.
Prien was directly behind the start of the girls basketball program at the middle school and recalls their first game vividly. The first night of practice the girls were hesitant to come out of the locker room, not wanting to be seen in shorts. Female athletics were just coming into play, and Prien's wife was a big sports lover - and always felt that the girls were cheated by not being able to be involved.
That same timid team won their first game 8-6, and four years later they made it to the state championship, losing in Madison, but coming so far from where they had started.
Prien decided to retire at midterm in 2000, after almost 40 years. He says he was ready, and the school was in the midst of change. He wanted to be available for his mother and mother-in-law, as well as a beloved ailing dog at home who spent eight years paralyzed.
"In all of my years of teaching, I worked with great staff and great principals," he said, noting that he worked at the middle school with his two best friends. "And great kids. Our kids are special, I think."
Behind the plate
In 1960, Recreation Director Bob Wells asked Prien if he'd like to work the after-school programs while he was attending the teachers college, and Prien agreed.
One evening they needed an umpire for fast pitch, and Prien stepped up to do it. "I was terrible," he said with a laugh. "But I learned."
And learn he did. Starting in 1961, Prien umpired more than 200 games per year for 25 years while he ran the slow pitch program as the Slow Pitch Commissioner, kept his own book and used his journalism minor to write and submit stories and information to the newspaper. He kept all of the records and took time each day to check the fields. He umpired four nights a week and umpired rainouts on the weekends. The slow pitch program took off and at one point, there were 40 teams involved.
He did play slow pitch for just a couple years - but always felt more comfortable running the program rather than running the bases, he said.
"Everyone got along so well," he said, noting that he met many people and made lifelong friends. "There were just great guys playing."
The tight schedule ran 45-minute games, and everyone seemed to get along. The trash talking stayed minimal, Prien said with a smile, except maybe for the wives in the stands.
"There was never much controversy," he recalls. "I had good people working with me. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do it."
At one point, Prien was taking morning classes at Platteville, coaching the children's programs in the afternoons and heading to slow pitch at night.
He recalls two no-hitters over the years, back when they were using 16-inch "pumpkin" balls.
Because of his heavy community involvement and hard work, Prien earned himself the Monroe Jaycees Outstanding Junior Citizen in 1973.
Keep moving
In high school, Prien wasn't much for sports but found a love for boxing after his aunt's husband boxed in New York. He boxed with the Golden Gloves for four years, in his later high school years and into college.
"I won a few and lost a few," he said with a smile. "But I enjoyed it."
Prien is an active person and loves to keep moving. He is a two-time cancer survivor and spends his days now at Anytime Fitness or on the golf course.
"I think exercise cures a lot of ills and I like to keep this old body moving forward," he said.
The couple has a large garden, and they share their bounty with many in Monroe. Prien is a Fantasy Football player, was involved with the Meals on Wheels program and was a big biker until recently. Prien and his wife also love animals and have fond memories of beloved pets, most recently a special dog named Big Guy.