Lost a Long-time Friend Jerry Apps Photo

  

LOST A LONG-TIME FRIEND         Jerry Apps photo.

I lost a long-time friend a few weeks ago—David  Kolka.  He was 85.  One of those “salt of the earth” persons as we used to call them when I was growing up on the farm. .  The Kolka farm was about a mile west of our farm, across the road from my Grandfather Bill Witt’s place.  Dave was a couple years younger than me.  He along with his brother Jim, six months younger than me, were the first kids my younger brothers and I got to know.  I’ve known the Kolka boys for more than 80 years, since we all were little guys and figuring out what having a friend was all about.

The Kolka boys, my brothers and I attended the Chain O’ Lake one-room country school.  We played softball together; we performed in Christmas programs together.  We helped each other with our school work.

When we got old enough, we hunted squirrels together on cool fall, Sunday afternoons.  We hunted deer together and went ice fishing together.  Dave and Jim were our best friends.

Dave was quiet, never said a lot, but when he said something, you’d best listen, because he usually had something to say. Society was—still is--filled with talkers.  But many of them have little to say.

In fall 1955, when I was waiting to go into the army, and my brother Donald was waiting to go to barber school, Dave, Jim, Don and I raked cranberries by hand in a cranberry marsh near Wisconsin Rapids.  It was a cold, wet, miserable, back-breaking job.  Did Dave Kolka complain—nope.  The rest of us did.  But not Dave.  He was one of the best cranberry rakers in the bog.

My two brothers and I, along with Dave’s brother, Jim, all left the farm.  Dave stayed on the farm where he had grown up, and farmed until he retired.  He was a supervisor for the Town of Rose, and for many years served on the Waushara County Board.  Dave is survived by Lois, his wife of 57 years, two daughters and a son, his brother Jim plus several grandchildren.

I will miss him.  He was a great guy.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: It’s hard to lose an old friend.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS

  Buy from your local bookstore, or buy online from the Wisconsin Historical Society bookstore, https://shop.wisconsinhistory.org/books, bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They also have a large selection of my books.