MONROE - As a young salesman, Rollie Karlen was taught to keep a clean car, clean fingernails and to wave at everyone he saw. It was suggested he stay in the public, tell stories and be nice to people.
Although Karlen is no longer a salesman, at age 85 most of these qualities have stuck - probably because he's so good at them. Today he's still tending to his clients from the past and enjoying life to the fullest.
He was born 8 miles west of Monticello on a dairy farm where he said his father was progressive for his time. The family was located in Adams Township and they had a cheese factory in the corner of the farm, where Karlen has plenty of memories.
He walked a half mile to Dividing Ridge School after the morning milking. In 1947, Karlen's oldest brother was getting married, so his parents decided to pass the farm to him and move. Karlen attended New Glarus High School his freshman year and he said he didn't really miss the farm work.
The above-average student played a little baseball, but the family moved to Monroe by the time he was a sophomore, and Karlen knew he wasn't big enough to play mainstream sports. Instead, he became Monroe High School's first male cheerleader - one of his biggest thrills was in 1948 during the state basketball tournament against Wauwatosa when 10,000 cheered him on during his opening forward flip.
He said his interest in cheer came by way of attractive girls on the squad and the assistant coach encouraging him to give it a try. Eventually, Karlen even got a uniform. He said it was all in the spirit of the school and he kept up with it during all three years of high school.
"I was always one to create a good image for what I was doing," Karlen said, noting that he was the top salesman in high school for the magazine sale fundraiser as well. "As I grew up, I saw a need to support my community wherever I was."
He also needed a job. So he walked around the Square asking for one until Willard Schuetze offered him a job working at his store, Schuetze's Men's Wear, for 35 cents an hour to check in and fold clothing.
Karlen also began teaching Sunday School in Monroe because he was always interested in church. He and his family attended St. John's, but Karlen said he had several friends who went to the Catholic church and he quickly became interested in St. Victor's.
"I liked the organization of the Catholic church," Karlen said. "And I saw they had needs."
Later, Karlen was married to his wife, Elaine, also Catholic, in the church and went through the steps to convert.
Karlen graduated from Monroe High School in 1949 and planned to attend Madison Business College. But before he did, he started working for Lanz Insurance Agency. He decided making money made more sense; he enjoyed the work and recalls selling polio policies door-to-door during that time.
He also joined the National Guard at 18 and spent nine years as a typist and later a supply sergeant. Karlen had friends working with New York Life and in 1954, he decided to join. He would spend 40 years selling life and group insurance.
Karlen was the guy who almost always had a camera in his hand. Once he was asked on a whim if he would photograph a friend's wedding. He had the photos printed at The Camera Shop, and he eventually got hired as a photographer. He spent about six years photographing people. But the busy weekends were eventually too much for his young family and his already hectic schedule.
Tragedy came to Karlen's life when his father died of a heart condition at age 52. His brother also died of a heart attack at age 48.
The Wisconsin Heart Association became an integral part of Karlen's life and he was very involved with raising awareness and supporting the association. Karlen was trained as a representative to speak at service clubs and to demonstrate CPR to raise awareness in the community. Karlen also became involved with the EMS during its inception and was part of the early board of directors because of his longtime connection with the heart association.
The salesman at heart would take the small Dodge van, the community's first ambulance, out around the Square to raise money to keep it going. Seeing the new EMS building today makes him very proud of those efforts, he said.
Although Karlen never served on the EMS, his duties behind the scenes made a large impact. He raised money, collected debts and took care of essentials to keep things flowing. He was instrumental in promoting cardiac catheterization and worked closely with doctors to raise awareness for the new procedure at the time.
In 1990, when Karlen suffered his first heart attack, he underwent his first cardiac catheterization - and he's proud that he was part of supporting it from the beginning.
"Thousands of people are alive because of that procedure," Karlen said.
About six months later he was taken to Madison for a quadruple bypass surgery. Since then he's had the heart catheterization half a dozen times, had seven stents placed and eight years ago, he had a pacemaker put in.
After having his own heart problems, Karlen became involved with starting the cardiac rehab program at Monroe Clinic Hospital, training early on with a nurse and a nun, he said. From that stemmed his involvement with the Monroe Clinic Building Fund, and he became the co-chair when the second building went up. Again, Karlen could be found at the helm of the fundraising.
During four decades with New York Life, Karlen had sold millions in group insurance and earned the group leader award. He retired in 1992 but eventually sold more insurance for a few years with his own business, Karlen Insurance. He loved the job and being out with people and it was hard to stop. He still cares for many of his clients today that he's promised to take care of.
He was very active in the Republican Party and was an officer for the Republican Caucus. He served on the Cheese Days committee from 1960-1965 and helped promote it heavily. In 1966, he became the Hospital Fund Coordinator and was a longtime chair for the Jaycees Chicken Barbecue and served as its secretary. In 1967 he earned the Outstanding Junior Citizen award.
He was an active member in the Argyle Rod and Gun Club, Chamber of Commerce, Green County Historical Society and the St. Clare Development Fund. He also chaired the Lions Club, running the light bulb sales and raising thousands of dollars while also helping other clubs get their bulb sales going.
In the 1950s, Karlen stepped in when the Green County Fair had financial struggles and became the secretary for six years, bringing the event into the black after the first year. He also served on the Blue Cross Agents board for four years during his time with New York Life.
Karlen chaired the fundraising committee that raised money to build the new St. Victor School and would later sponsor spaghetti dinners to raise money for needed items at the church.
Karlen said it's a great feeling to know he helped his community. He now enjoys spending time with his wife of 64 years. The couple traveled extensively in the past and now enjoys dinner at the Moose Lodge and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Karlen has always been a car lover and in recent years has purchased a new car almost every year. He almost always chooses the color red. He'll happily wave if you see him.
"I was always ready to be on a committee," Karlen said. "If you're not willing to give 25 percent of your time back to the community, then you shouldn't live there."
Although Karlen is no longer a salesman, at age 85 most of these qualities have stuck - probably because he's so good at them. Today he's still tending to his clients from the past and enjoying life to the fullest.
He was born 8 miles west of Monticello on a dairy farm where he said his father was progressive for his time. The family was located in Adams Township and they had a cheese factory in the corner of the farm, where Karlen has plenty of memories.
He walked a half mile to Dividing Ridge School after the morning milking. In 1947, Karlen's oldest brother was getting married, so his parents decided to pass the farm to him and move. Karlen attended New Glarus High School his freshman year and he said he didn't really miss the farm work.
The above-average student played a little baseball, but the family moved to Monroe by the time he was a sophomore, and Karlen knew he wasn't big enough to play mainstream sports. Instead, he became Monroe High School's first male cheerleader - one of his biggest thrills was in 1948 during the state basketball tournament against Wauwatosa when 10,000 cheered him on during his opening forward flip.
He said his interest in cheer came by way of attractive girls on the squad and the assistant coach encouraging him to give it a try. Eventually, Karlen even got a uniform. He said it was all in the spirit of the school and he kept up with it during all three years of high school.
"I was always one to create a good image for what I was doing," Karlen said, noting that he was the top salesman in high school for the magazine sale fundraiser as well. "As I grew up, I saw a need to support my community wherever I was."
He also needed a job. So he walked around the Square asking for one until Willard Schuetze offered him a job working at his store, Schuetze's Men's Wear, for 35 cents an hour to check in and fold clothing.
Karlen also began teaching Sunday School in Monroe because he was always interested in church. He and his family attended St. John's, but Karlen said he had several friends who went to the Catholic church and he quickly became interested in St. Victor's.
"I liked the organization of the Catholic church," Karlen said. "And I saw they had needs."
Later, Karlen was married to his wife, Elaine, also Catholic, in the church and went through the steps to convert.
Karlen graduated from Monroe High School in 1949 and planned to attend Madison Business College. But before he did, he started working for Lanz Insurance Agency. He decided making money made more sense; he enjoyed the work and recalls selling polio policies door-to-door during that time.
He also joined the National Guard at 18 and spent nine years as a typist and later a supply sergeant. Karlen had friends working with New York Life and in 1954, he decided to join. He would spend 40 years selling life and group insurance.
Karlen was the guy who almost always had a camera in his hand. Once he was asked on a whim if he would photograph a friend's wedding. He had the photos printed at The Camera Shop, and he eventually got hired as a photographer. He spent about six years photographing people. But the busy weekends were eventually too much for his young family and his already hectic schedule.
Tragedy came to Karlen's life when his father died of a heart condition at age 52. His brother also died of a heart attack at age 48.
The Wisconsin Heart Association became an integral part of Karlen's life and he was very involved with raising awareness and supporting the association. Karlen was trained as a representative to speak at service clubs and to demonstrate CPR to raise awareness in the community. Karlen also became involved with the EMS during its inception and was part of the early board of directors because of his longtime connection with the heart association.
The salesman at heart would take the small Dodge van, the community's first ambulance, out around the Square to raise money to keep it going. Seeing the new EMS building today makes him very proud of those efforts, he said.
Although Karlen never served on the EMS, his duties behind the scenes made a large impact. He raised money, collected debts and took care of essentials to keep things flowing. He was instrumental in promoting cardiac catheterization and worked closely with doctors to raise awareness for the new procedure at the time.
In 1990, when Karlen suffered his first heart attack, he underwent his first cardiac catheterization - and he's proud that he was part of supporting it from the beginning.
"Thousands of people are alive because of that procedure," Karlen said.
About six months later he was taken to Madison for a quadruple bypass surgery. Since then he's had the heart catheterization half a dozen times, had seven stents placed and eight years ago, he had a pacemaker put in.
After having his own heart problems, Karlen became involved with starting the cardiac rehab program at Monroe Clinic Hospital, training early on with a nurse and a nun, he said. From that stemmed his involvement with the Monroe Clinic Building Fund, and he became the co-chair when the second building went up. Again, Karlen could be found at the helm of the fundraising.
During four decades with New York Life, Karlen had sold millions in group insurance and earned the group leader award. He retired in 1992 but eventually sold more insurance for a few years with his own business, Karlen Insurance. He loved the job and being out with people and it was hard to stop. He still cares for many of his clients today that he's promised to take care of.
He was very active in the Republican Party and was an officer for the Republican Caucus. He served on the Cheese Days committee from 1960-1965 and helped promote it heavily. In 1966, he became the Hospital Fund Coordinator and was a longtime chair for the Jaycees Chicken Barbecue and served as its secretary. In 1967 he earned the Outstanding Junior Citizen award.
He was an active member in the Argyle Rod and Gun Club, Chamber of Commerce, Green County Historical Society and the St. Clare Development Fund. He also chaired the Lions Club, running the light bulb sales and raising thousands of dollars while also helping other clubs get their bulb sales going.
In the 1950s, Karlen stepped in when the Green County Fair had financial struggles and became the secretary for six years, bringing the event into the black after the first year. He also served on the Blue Cross Agents board for four years during his time with New York Life.
Karlen chaired the fundraising committee that raised money to build the new St. Victor School and would later sponsor spaghetti dinners to raise money for needed items at the church.
Karlen said it's a great feeling to know he helped his community. He now enjoys spending time with his wife of 64 years. The couple traveled extensively in the past and now enjoys dinner at the Moose Lodge and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Karlen has always been a car lover and in recent years has purchased a new car almost every year. He almost always chooses the color red. He'll happily wave if you see him.
"I was always ready to be on a committee," Karlen said. "If you're not willing to give 25 percent of your time back to the community, then you shouldn't live there."