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 - Richard "Dick" Rote enjoys taking some time to get away but always looks forward to coming back home to Monroe.
Rote was born in Monroe at the Deaconess Hospital and his family farmed near Monroe and Orangeville early on. He spent a lot of time helping on the farm with his brother, sister and mother after his father was killed in a farming accident at age 43.
They all pitched in on the dairy and hog farm. In high school, Rote and his brother raised purebred duroc hogs and showed them at the fair. One year, Rote recalls earning a blue ribbon.
FFA was a large part of Rote's high school career, and he even received the State Farmer Award. It was a small school and it was easy to be involved, Rote said. He also played the trombone in the high school band.
Fun was found during county fair time and during the annual Orangeville Fireman's Festival. Rote also recalls enjoying the free movies in McConnell and Orangeville outside during the summer and the ball games between the area country schools.
The 1957 Orangeville High School graduate said his older brother had taken over the farm so he decided to enroll at the Rockford School of Business for two years. He enjoyed being in a bigger city. He recalls when the first McDonald's in Rockford opened and the 10-cent fries.
After he finished business school, Rote decided to take an offer to work as a teller at First National Bank in Monroe. He stayed for 48 years.
"I always liked working at a bank and it was so important to have a job then," Rote recalls, noting that there were only two banks in town at that time. "It seemed like a good place to have a future - the pay wasn't good, but none of the jobs were paying well then."
Over the years, Rote has taken on almost every capacity at the bank. He kept up by attending several banking courses over the years. He served as the bank's trust officer for several years and attended trust school at Northwestern, along with classes at the University of Wisconsin and locally.
The bank was a great place to work, Rote said, even though he was part of two bank robberies over the years - he's thankful no one was hurt in either incident.
When Rote was about 20, he was encouraged by the bank to get involved with the community service organizations, so Rote decided to join the Jaycees, a group that was active in Monroe at the time. The group only allowed ages 21 to 35, but Rote served so long, he was an associate member both before he joined and after. He loved being a part of the Jaycees' mission and supported youth, sports and his community.
"I always felt like it was great to support youth activities and young people," he said.
Over the years, Rote served at the Memorial Day chicken barbecue lunch stand and the lunch stand at Cheese Days and helped with the snowmobile races at the fairgrounds and battle of the bands. He was always up for volunteering and helping out.
He received the Jaycees Outstanding Young Man award and served on the Chamber of Commerce Board. He recalls the group helping clean up after the tornado in 1965.
Rote has also been a part of Staver Church all of his life and continues to be active.
He served with the Optimist Club for several years, helping with the fishing clinic and spending time in the cheese curd stand at Cheese Days. He has also served on the Cheese Days Board and was the treasurer for several years until he retired recently and served as the parade marshall. He was also on the Monroe Arts Center Board, the New Glarus Board and the Green County Bankers Association.
Rote has taken a special interest in helping those less fortunate. Over the years, he recalls being in tough situations and people helping his family. Therefore, he has made it his mission to help those struggling.
"I guess I think that people should try to give back to the community," Rote said. "We've got a great place to live."
Today, he spends his time volunteering at the National Historic Cheesemaking and Welcome Center monthly. He also enjoys his pontoon boat in Wisconsin Dells, and serves on the condo association board there - as the treasurer, of course. He has eight nieces and nephews whom he enjoys spending time with and attending their extra curricular activities.
Rote has traveled extensively in the past, but today he enjoys short trips.
"The more I travel, I find Monroe a pretty great place to come back to," he said. "It can only keep going if people stay involved."
Rote was born in Monroe at the Deaconess Hospital and his family farmed near Monroe and Orangeville early on. He spent a lot of time helping on the farm with his brother, sister and mother after his father was killed in a farming accident at age 43.
They all pitched in on the dairy and hog farm. In high school, Rote and his brother raised purebred duroc hogs and showed them at the fair. One year, Rote recalls earning a blue ribbon.
FFA was a large part of Rote's high school career, and he even received the State Farmer Award. It was a small school and it was easy to be involved, Rote said. He also played the trombone in the high school band.
Fun was found during county fair time and during the annual Orangeville Fireman's Festival. Rote also recalls enjoying the free movies in McConnell and Orangeville outside during the summer and the ball games between the area country schools.
The 1957 Orangeville High School graduate said his older brother had taken over the farm so he decided to enroll at the Rockford School of Business for two years. He enjoyed being in a bigger city. He recalls when the first McDonald's in Rockford opened and the 10-cent fries.
After he finished business school, Rote decided to take an offer to work as a teller at First National Bank in Monroe. He stayed for 48 years.
"I always liked working at a bank and it was so important to have a job then," Rote recalls, noting that there were only two banks in town at that time. "It seemed like a good place to have a future - the pay wasn't good, but none of the jobs were paying well then."
Over the years, Rote has taken on almost every capacity at the bank. He kept up by attending several banking courses over the years. He served as the bank's trust officer for several years and attended trust school at Northwestern, along with classes at the University of Wisconsin and locally.
The bank was a great place to work, Rote said, even though he was part of two bank robberies over the years - he's thankful no one was hurt in either incident.
When Rote was about 20, he was encouraged by the bank to get involved with the community service organizations, so Rote decided to join the Jaycees, a group that was active in Monroe at the time. The group only allowed ages 21 to 35, but Rote served so long, he was an associate member both before he joined and after. He loved being a part of the Jaycees' mission and supported youth, sports and his community.
"I always felt like it was great to support youth activities and young people," he said.
Over the years, Rote served at the Memorial Day chicken barbecue lunch stand and the lunch stand at Cheese Days and helped with the snowmobile races at the fairgrounds and battle of the bands. He was always up for volunteering and helping out.
He received the Jaycees Outstanding Young Man award and served on the Chamber of Commerce Board. He recalls the group helping clean up after the tornado in 1965.
Rote has also been a part of Staver Church all of his life and continues to be active.
He served with the Optimist Club for several years, helping with the fishing clinic and spending time in the cheese curd stand at Cheese Days. He has also served on the Cheese Days Board and was the treasurer for several years until he retired recently and served as the parade marshall. He was also on the Monroe Arts Center Board, the New Glarus Board and the Green County Bankers Association.
Rote has taken a special interest in helping those less fortunate. Over the years, he recalls being in tough situations and people helping his family. Therefore, he has made it his mission to help those struggling.
"I guess I think that people should try to give back to the community," Rote said. "We've got a great place to live."
Today, he spends his time volunteering at the National Historic Cheesemaking and Welcome Center monthly. He also enjoys his pontoon boat in Wisconsin Dells, and serves on the condo association board there - as the treasurer, of course. He has eight nieces and nephews whom he enjoys spending time with and attending their extra curricular activities.
Rote has traveled extensively in the past, but today he enjoys short trips.
"The more I travel, I find Monroe a pretty great place to come back to," he said. "It can only keep going if people stay involved."