Clark County Press, Neillsville, Clark, WI

August 17, 2011, Front Page & page 2

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Carl E. Gerold the ‘Century Man’

Carl "Butch" Gerold, smiling to his family and friends as he celebrates turning 100; He is the first "centenarian" from the Rock Dam area.  (Tony Opelt/Clark County Press)

By Tony Opelt

He’s faster than a speeding turtle.  More powerful than a wet noodle. Able to take one step at a time and who disguised as Butch Gerold, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and that second martini.

Those were the words used (jokingly) to describe Carl "Butch" Gerold at his birthday celebration Aug. 7 at the Rod and Gun Club in Rock Dam.  He turned 100 Aug. 9, 2011.

Carl was born on Aug. 9, 1911, in Milwaukee and lived a number of years near the Pabst Brewery.  His father was involved with other family members in the meat market business, so for a number of years the family would move to a different part of the city to open and manage a new market.  In 1924 the family moved to Fredonia where his parents owned and operated a tavern, hotel and dance hall.

Carl graduated from Random Lake High School in 1929 (and recently celebrated his 82^nd high school class reunion with the only other class member still living) and first attended the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and in early 1932 moved to Madison to attend the university there.  While at Madison, he participated in the boxing program, which was not a Big 10 Sport at the time, in the 140-pound class, in 1932 and 1933.  His nickname, as given to him by the well-known Wisconsin State Journal Sports columnist Roundy, was "The Fredonia Flattner."  One of the highlights of his boxing career was participation in the American Legion Intercollegiate Boxing Championships at the Chicago Stadium in May 1932.

Carl graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in the spring of 1935 and moved to Port Washington to begin a 40-year career in the practice of law.  Most of those years were as a general partner in the firm of Gerold & Huiras.

Carl met his wife-to-be, Mary Ketel, after coming to Port Washington. She lived in West Bend, and in December 1937 they were married in Ladysmith, which was where Mary’s parents were living at the time.  Mary had grown up in Neillsville and that is how Carl got to Clark County.  Since Mary had many friends still living in Neillsville, Carl naturally got to know them. Among them were Al and Marie Covell. Al was the county forester, and Carl would ride along with him as he toured what was then the beginning of the county forests. The travels brought them to Rock Dam, where the dam that created Rock Dam Lake was under construction. Carl even spent time nailing some of the panels to hold the cement, which would eventually become the finished dam.  Al was also a deer hunter and Carl joined him at deer season with other hunters at the Windy Run deer camp at Rock Dam.  The camp was created when the CCC’s were being disbanded and had a building for sale that had been used as the "cook house."  A group of men including Carl and Al purchased the building and had it moved along Windy Run Creek, which runs into Rock Dam Lake.  Over the ensuing years Carl spent many falls grouse and deer hunting in this area of Clark County.

In 1960 Carl and another deer hunter from Port Washington leased two lots on the lower part of Rock Dam Lake and built cabins.  In those days, lots could not be purchased on the lake; they were all leased on a yearly basis by the county.  It was not until about 1983 the county allowed the purchase of land. As was the rule, the cabin was originally built small and was intended to be used for weekend activities, including the usual week of deer hunting, and as the family grew, so did the cabin.

Carl has fostered many relationships over the years with many of the people in Neillsville, Willard and Rock Dam, and to his credit, many of those relationships continue to this day.

Carl served his country for two years during the period from 1944 through 1945 as an officer in the U. S. Navy.  He was second in command of an LST and spent more than a year in the Pacific Theater.

He retired from the practice of law in 1975, sold his home in Port Washington and began spending the winters in Englewood, FL, and the summers at Rock Dam. Living in both locations, with the weather always being like summer, allowed him to continue his love of fishing, which he does as much as he can.

Carl’s wife, Mary, the love of his life, passed away four years ago.  Joining him to celebrate his birthday were his other family members: son John and his wife Geri with their children David and Amy Carpenter, along with her husband Steve and great-grandsons Zach and Finn, and great-granddaughter Zolia Sarmento. Daughter Paula and husband Robert Schreiner and their children Mary and her husband Charlie Anderson and Mark and his wife Holly Schreiner and great-grandsons Alex Anderson, Joey Schreiner and Nathan Schreiner.