Are you familiar with Mo Rocca?
The name might ring a bell if you watch CBS Sunday Morning. Mo is a correspondent on the TV show, a humorist, storyteller and history buff. And he loves obituaries. I’ve been listening to his new podcast, called “Mobituaries.” It’s billed to be “irreverent…with intriguing stories of past lives.”
Listening to Mo inspired me to think about people I’ve known, now passed away, who brought various things to the table in relation to my work.
Jack Kundert and Archie Myers
These guys were from the golden age of the revival of Cheese Days following a 10 year hiatus that started in 1955. Some years back, I met up with the two of them at Turner Hall to reminisce. Jack had been president of the Chamber in 1965 and saw the community through the devastation of a tornado that wiped out some west side businesses. Archie was the one who climbed all the way up to the top of the clock tower of the Historic Courthouse, alphorn in tow, to give a ceremonial toot to mark the start of the festival.
Karen Nufer
Karen was new to the community and eager to get involved, and we were lucky to recruit her to chair the arts and crafts fair at Cheese Days. Karen was the perfect example of not sweating the small stuff. We’d meet up and assign vendor booths while she was working at Curves, the exercise franchise she owned. Members marched and stretched their way around the circuit, rotating from station to station (change stations!) as we worked. One day, she brought up something that triggered a memory for me, something I hadn’t thought about for years. I shared it with her, and in turn she shared her theory on random memories popping up. She likened it to having all these memories stored on shelves in your head, and when you had a “pop-up memory” it meant the shelf was full and you needed to clear space for new ones. So, whenever I have any random memory, I think of Karen.
John Marty
As a longtime volunteer at the Swiss Historical Village, John was a wealth of knowledge on all things New Glarus. One time in the cold of winter, he opened up buildings at the village — and shoveled a path through the snow — so I could get photographs of artifacts related to an article I was working on.
Doran Zwygart
I had Doran on speed dial for questions related to the history of local cheesemaking. If I remember correctly, he was involved in early development of cryovac vacuum packaging, which replaced using wax to preserve cheese. Before I met Doran, I didn’t know that “cheese buyer” was even a job.
Sue Disch
Sue was on the Green County Board and the Tourism Committee. Before my time in the area, she was instrumental in the group involved with moving and restoring the former railroad depot which was repurposed as the National Historic Cheesemaking Center. Sue was my source for Monroe and Green County history. After she passed away, her husband Ron brought me some artifacts and photos from her personal collection, which I still need to get incorporated into the history room, in the former jury deliberation room, at the historic courthouse. I always called her “Susie” and she always called me “Kiddo.” I miss that.
Bob Hoesly
Bob was chairman of the county board when I was hired. I once heard him say, “Here in Green County you’re either Swiss or you want to be.” As ex officio, he attended many county meetings, including tourism. He told me that if I was going to be promoting Green County, I would need to wear a dirndl. I’m still taking that under advisement.
— Noreen Rueckert is director for Green County Tourism, executive director for Green County Cheese Days, and co-chair of Main Street Monroe’s Concerts on the Square. She refuses to name her favorite cheese, but it is rumored to be Feta. She has the best office in the county — overlooking Monroe’s downtown Square from the tower of the Historic Green County Courthouse. She dabbles in photography and graphic design, adores cats and coffee, and secretly loves the Cheese Days Song.
