MONROE - When LaVern Isely's one-room schoolhouse teacher, Mable Probst, started teaching at Jordan Center School many years ago, she began reading aloud to the class. It was the start of a lifelong love of reading and learning for at least one student - Isely - who continues to read, write and contribute to what he believes in any way he can.
"I don't think our education stops when we leave school," Isely said.
He was born in Jordan Township in Green County on a dairy farm and spent his days doing chores alongside one brother and two sisters. He said it was a time when farming meant driving horses, not tractors, and he was lucky to love the land and the work.
Fun on the farm growing up brought water fights and much time spent outside with his siblings, he said. One of the things Isely recalls is his father enjoying boxing in the family home's basement. Isely would box with his brother, five years older than him, but it was short-lived, as he was known as the little brother who simply wouldn't quit.
At the one-room Jordan Center School, Isely had about 30 classmates during his eight years. He enjoyed school and connected with his teacher, who fed his love for learning and was proud when he graduated at the top of his class.
However, he didn't continue on to high school and instead went back to the farm to help where he was needed.
"My dad didn't believe in education," Isely said. "But I did learn how to work - and that's valuable."
A few years later Isely learned his brother was about to get drafted because the government would only allow one of the boys to stay to help on the farm. To avoid that, Isely enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1955. He was 21 with an eighth-grade education, but when it came time to prove himself, he certainly did.
He scored so high on the aptitude test he was put into the electronics division school at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. He became a radar maintenance worker stationed at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. While there, he earned his GED in an afternoon and eventually attained the rank of Airman First Class.
Isely was credited for being a big part of saving the lives of two Danville, Illinois, men who were forced to land their civilian plane during an ice storm after the engine was lost. The knowledgeable ground-controlled approach radar maintenance man crossed the correct channels to get the plane down safely.
"We had to get it right the first time," Isely said. "It could have been bad."
He voluntarily served a year in Korea from 1957-1958 after the war to provide necessary maintenance there.
"I wanted to see why so many people died there," he said of why he volunteered.
Isely felt a connection to Korea after seeing the poverty. The Air Force offered soldiers an option to have $5 deducted from each pay check to help build an orphanage, and Isely didn't hesitate. It was important to him to help facilitate some education to the people there.
As they worked on the empty bases in Korea, the soldiers often hypothetically talked about what would happen if the war started up again. Isely said the thought of that power was what initially got him deeply interested in politics.
Until he read "Soldier of Fortune," Isely said he was a Republican, but the book inspired him and he now considers himself an Independent.
In 1958 he left the service, saying although he enjoyed his time, he was ready to get back to the farm, a place he missed. When he returned, he met his wife, Linda, at a dance at Turner Hall. He took her to his teacher, Probst, to introduce his future wife. The couple married in 1959.
He worked at the telephone company for a short time and lived in town, but soon Isely was ready to purchase his own farm in March 1960. He went to the bank with money he saved while in the Air Force but was directed to the Federal Housing Administration, which took 10 percent down and allowed him to start his dream.
He said it was his tax man who taught him to simply enjoy paying taxes and stay away from bad habits to pay the farm off quickly, which was advice Isely took wholeheartedly. He said it worked well for him.
"My tax man helped me more than a high school education," he said.
The couple farmed near Blanchardville for about seven years but eventually moved to a farm between Monroe and Albany where they milked 32 cows on 145 acres. Although they downsized, Isely said he had a better pasture rotation for the cows, which produced better milk, eventually making the best cheese for factories. He served in the National Farmers Organization.
After his morning milking, Isely would spend time sharing his political views by calling in regularly to radio programs. He enjoyed calling in to WEKZ's "On the Line" and also called the Madison radio station for several years.
"We had some interesting conversations," Isely laughed. "Some people called it the LaVern Isely program."
When the Vietnam War came about, Isely's radio programs were longer, and he said he talked more than an hour against the war alongside local radio owner Joe Urban.
Isely retired from farming and moved to town around 1980 but still keeps up with politics. He can be found at the library almost every day with Linda, where they maintain a Facebook page, Twitter account and an active blog. He said he enjoys speaking his mind and has met people and has friends from all over the world.
Linda is often the one doing the typing as Isely shares his views. He's been known to wake her in the middle of the night to write a letter to the editor. He said he's often inspired in the very late or very early morning hours for inexplicable reasons.
He was heavily influenced to march at the Capitol during the 2008 financial crisis and said he has a big interest in having honest banks. He said he could have never gotten his start without one. Today, he does most of his lobbying via email, phone or visiting an aide when they come to the area for a listening session. He is a former member of the political advocacy groups Common Cause and Public Citizen.
Despite his heavy interest in politics, Isely said he never desired to run for office.
"The voters are what make a country great - not the politician," he said.
Through the years, he and Linda have enjoyed traveling. Their only daughter, Laura, was in the Army, and they visited her for three weeks to see Europe, spending time in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and France. They've also taken many trips in the United States.
They are baseball fans and have enjoyed spring training over the years. One of their favorite annual events has been the balloon rallies. Isely went for the first time while in the Air Force and helped crew and eventually took a ride. He found the experience fascinating and hasn't missed a balloon rally since. He and Linda crewed for five years but now just enjoy the event and seeing old friends.
After moving to town, he and Linda began walking often to stay active; they still walk between 5 and 10 miles each day. They meet with friends weekly and otherwise read and watch western movies, which remind them of a simpler time. They also enjoy spending time with Laura and their grandsons and attending the veteran's dinner at the Lions Club in Albany each year.
A quote that Isely has often repeated through the years is one Probst shared on the blackboard and applies in many different situations.
"Habit is a cable," it read. "We weave a thread of it every day, and at last we cannot break it."
"I don't think our education stops when we leave school," Isely said.
He was born in Jordan Township in Green County on a dairy farm and spent his days doing chores alongside one brother and two sisters. He said it was a time when farming meant driving horses, not tractors, and he was lucky to love the land and the work.
Fun on the farm growing up brought water fights and much time spent outside with his siblings, he said. One of the things Isely recalls is his father enjoying boxing in the family home's basement. Isely would box with his brother, five years older than him, but it was short-lived, as he was known as the little brother who simply wouldn't quit.
At the one-room Jordan Center School, Isely had about 30 classmates during his eight years. He enjoyed school and connected with his teacher, who fed his love for learning and was proud when he graduated at the top of his class.
However, he didn't continue on to high school and instead went back to the farm to help where he was needed.
"My dad didn't believe in education," Isely said. "But I did learn how to work - and that's valuable."
A few years later Isely learned his brother was about to get drafted because the government would only allow one of the boys to stay to help on the farm. To avoid that, Isely enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1955. He was 21 with an eighth-grade education, but when it came time to prove himself, he certainly did.
He scored so high on the aptitude test he was put into the electronics division school at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. He became a radar maintenance worker stationed at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. While there, he earned his GED in an afternoon and eventually attained the rank of Airman First Class.
Isely was credited for being a big part of saving the lives of two Danville, Illinois, men who were forced to land their civilian plane during an ice storm after the engine was lost. The knowledgeable ground-controlled approach radar maintenance man crossed the correct channels to get the plane down safely.
"We had to get it right the first time," Isely said. "It could have been bad."
He voluntarily served a year in Korea from 1957-1958 after the war to provide necessary maintenance there.
"I wanted to see why so many people died there," he said of why he volunteered.
Isely felt a connection to Korea after seeing the poverty. The Air Force offered soldiers an option to have $5 deducted from each pay check to help build an orphanage, and Isely didn't hesitate. It was important to him to help facilitate some education to the people there.
As they worked on the empty bases in Korea, the soldiers often hypothetically talked about what would happen if the war started up again. Isely said the thought of that power was what initially got him deeply interested in politics.
Until he read "Soldier of Fortune," Isely said he was a Republican, but the book inspired him and he now considers himself an Independent.
In 1958 he left the service, saying although he enjoyed his time, he was ready to get back to the farm, a place he missed. When he returned, he met his wife, Linda, at a dance at Turner Hall. He took her to his teacher, Probst, to introduce his future wife. The couple married in 1959.
He worked at the telephone company for a short time and lived in town, but soon Isely was ready to purchase his own farm in March 1960. He went to the bank with money he saved while in the Air Force but was directed to the Federal Housing Administration, which took 10 percent down and allowed him to start his dream.
He said it was his tax man who taught him to simply enjoy paying taxes and stay away from bad habits to pay the farm off quickly, which was advice Isely took wholeheartedly. He said it worked well for him.
"My tax man helped me more than a high school education," he said.
The couple farmed near Blanchardville for about seven years but eventually moved to a farm between Monroe and Albany where they milked 32 cows on 145 acres. Although they downsized, Isely said he had a better pasture rotation for the cows, which produced better milk, eventually making the best cheese for factories. He served in the National Farmers Organization.
After his morning milking, Isely would spend time sharing his political views by calling in regularly to radio programs. He enjoyed calling in to WEKZ's "On the Line" and also called the Madison radio station for several years.
"We had some interesting conversations," Isely laughed. "Some people called it the LaVern Isely program."
When the Vietnam War came about, Isely's radio programs were longer, and he said he talked more than an hour against the war alongside local radio owner Joe Urban.
Isely retired from farming and moved to town around 1980 but still keeps up with politics. He can be found at the library almost every day with Linda, where they maintain a Facebook page, Twitter account and an active blog. He said he enjoys speaking his mind and has met people and has friends from all over the world.
Linda is often the one doing the typing as Isely shares his views. He's been known to wake her in the middle of the night to write a letter to the editor. He said he's often inspired in the very late or very early morning hours for inexplicable reasons.
He was heavily influenced to march at the Capitol during the 2008 financial crisis and said he has a big interest in having honest banks. He said he could have never gotten his start without one. Today, he does most of his lobbying via email, phone or visiting an aide when they come to the area for a listening session. He is a former member of the political advocacy groups Common Cause and Public Citizen.
Despite his heavy interest in politics, Isely said he never desired to run for office.
"The voters are what make a country great - not the politician," he said.
Through the years, he and Linda have enjoyed traveling. Their only daughter, Laura, was in the Army, and they visited her for three weeks to see Europe, spending time in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and France. They've also taken many trips in the United States.
They are baseball fans and have enjoyed spring training over the years. One of their favorite annual events has been the balloon rallies. Isely went for the first time while in the Air Force and helped crew and eventually took a ride. He found the experience fascinating and hasn't missed a balloon rally since. He and Linda crewed for five years but now just enjoy the event and seeing old friends.
After moving to town, he and Linda began walking often to stay active; they still walk between 5 and 10 miles each day. They meet with friends weekly and otherwise read and watch western movies, which remind them of a simpler time. They also enjoy spending time with Laura and their grandsons and attending the veteran's dinner at the Lions Club in Albany each year.
A quote that Isely has often repeated through the years is one Probst shared on the blackboard and applies in many different situations.
"Habit is a cable," it read. "We weave a thread of it every day, and at last we cannot break it."