Bio: Steinbach, Walter (Citizen of the Year - 1982)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Steinbach, Jensen, Reisner, Bladl, Schmidtke, Zaleski

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 9/9/1982

Steinbach, Walter (Citizen of the Year - 1982)

Walter Steinbach, a retired farmer and businessman who lives in Granton, has been selected as “Citizen of the Year” for the village of Granton. He was nominated by Harry Zaleski and selected by the Granton Rotary Club.

Walter was born on September 24, 1907 in the Town of Lynn and will soon celebrate his 75th birthday. In 1929 he married Gladys Jensen, and they will celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary on September 26. They have three children: Vernon lives in Sauk City, Janet in Marshfield and Jim in Loyal. They also have 19 grandchildren.

Walter is retired and takes care of his wife who is an invalid. Two years ago he lost his left leg to diabetes, but he has made a good recovery and is seen about town daily. He enjoys his garden and visiting with both young and old.

He grew up on the Bob Reisner farm and attended Sunbeam School. Times were tough when he was a boy and he started working out on farms when he was 16. Later he worked building U.S. 10 and then for eleven years worked in Milwaukee managing a chain of 15 White Tower restaurants. In 1935, he remembers selling a Coke and a hamburger for a dime. He quit when he saw that company was going out of business.

In 1947, he returned to Granton to farm and be a sub-mail carrier. Later he purchased the old Bladl tavern and restaurant in Granton where he sold dime beers and fed group gatherings and the local Rotary Club.

After five years he had had enough of 16-hour days, seven-days-a-week, and he sold the business and went to Marshfield to work for Pathfinder until retiring.

He couldn’t stand retirement and, therefore, he operated Schmidtke’s Tavern for 16 months. His reputation as a bartender was second to none.

Walter has always enjoyed helping people and for nine years he aided elderly disabled people for the county. Granton is proud of its new park; Walter was hired to supervise the park’s initial stages. He is responsible for seeding.

In commenting on the award, Walter said, “Granton is a mighty fine little village with some of the world's nicest people. I’m glad to live here. I feel honored to receive this award.”