 Northwoods Vacationland Album |
Promoting Happier Living Through Fond Memories ... Site Map |
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Northwoods Vacationland Album |
Promoting Happier Living Through Fond Memories ... Site Map |
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An excerpt from Made It With Work And Luck If you listen carefully as you cross the bridge in Hazelhurst traveling south, you will hear a distant hum. It's the hum of the Kettner saw mill, and it's been in operation since 1946...because of the luck, ingenuity and hard work of Gil Kettner. This is his story: Still another Northwoods pioneer who struggled to overcome great odds, so that he could settle and raise a family in the country he loved so well. Gil's arrival in the north was even through adversity. He was born in Mosinee, into a large family and a comfortable life by Northwoods standards. His father had his own logging camp in the area, and a good market for the logs he felled. Then in 1921, a series of circumstances caused this world to fall apart. First came the great diphtheria epidemic. The Kettner family lost two sons to the disease, and several of the workers in their camp. Even though grieving over his own loss, Gil's father also took care of the families of the other men who had succumbed to the disease...something unheard of in those days. Life went on...and then, in 1922, a second tragedy struck. A nearby farmer was burning off his land, the fire went out of control and destroyed all the timber on the Kettner land. They were out of business. Then Gil's mother died of cancer, leaving seven children: Edith 11 months; Gil, 5; Betty, 7; Fred, 11; Gary, 13; Lou, 16; and Harry, 18. Almost more than a man could bear. He decided to leave the area of tragedy, and so it was in 1922 that the Kettner family arrived in the Lakeland area. Gil's dad worked hard, trying to keep the family together. He worked as a logger in the woods, put up ice in the winter, and took any jobs he could to take care of his group. For the next six years Gil obediently went to school...most of the time. But, somehow, the call of the woods became too strong for the young lad, and soon he was spending as much time out in the woods as he was in school. Finally, at age 11, he gave up school entirely and went out to make his own way in the world. His first job was for Axel Anderson. He was paid 50 cents a day for driving his team and doing odd jobs. But, more, importantly, Gil had his freedom. Then, one day, brother Gary came home with a gift for Gil. It was an old horse that he had saved from death, buying him rather than letting him be killed. This brought a regular bonanza to Gil, for he and the horse hired out to Jack Schwarts to cultivate nursery stock, and they were paid what Gil considered a fortune--$4 a day for boy and horse. Gil and his horse worked at this job, but that wasn't enough. He also worked in the woods logging, did some estimating work, put up ice, and worked any odd job he could. Then Gil went to work for Wingers. Here he mixed concrete, made blocks and drove a truck. In 1939, when Gil was 22, he married Laura and now there were two working to make their way in the north. The first winter of their marriage they lived in one of Rummery's cottages in Hazelhurst. It was a roof over their heads, but it was far from comfortable. The roof leaked, and when Laura found a cake of ice in their bed one evening (from the leaking water which had frozen), they knew they would have to move on. They found a little home in Hazelhurst and settled in the raise their family. "I had really wanted to be a farmer," Gil said, "but I knew it just wouldn't work in this area, so I had to find something else." The first "something else" turned out to be Al-Kon Highway. Gil left for Alaska in 1942 to work on the highway and try to amass some capital to buy his own land for his family. Laura remained behind with their two baby daughters. Gil started working for just $1 an hour, but soon was made foreman, with a raise in pay, and finally ran an air compressor for even better pay. He was able to return to Laura at the end of seven months with enough to buy a "40." He also had his eye on two other 40's with good pulp which he knew would bring a nice profit. A friend, Frank Penaska, lent him the $300 to buy these and Gil started logging his land. "You know," Gil said, "I married the best woman ever. She worked right along side me, and helped cut down many trees. She drove the truck to deliver the pulp, and would even help skid the logs out of the woods." Then Gil got a letter from Uncle Sam that they needed him in WWII. He answered the call, and was just ready to sign the papers to serve when an officer noticed that one of his hands was smashed. That ended Gil's Army career. He was not allowed to sign the papers, and the doctor who had examined and passed him was severely chastised. So, it was back to northern Wisconsin and Hazelhurst. During this period, a dream had been forming in Gil's mind--a dream of his own saw mill, for then he could not only log the woods, but finish the product as well. Then luck entered Gil's life. He was erecting a flagpole at a resort, when the announcement came through that WWII had ended. C.L. Marshall of Chicago came out of the resort, and said "let's celebrate the end of the war." As they talked, Gil told him of his dream for a saw mill. It was then that Marshall said he'd lend him $10,000 to get started. Gil really didn't believe him, for $10,000 was more money than he had ever seen in his life. However, he now knew that he had to have his mill. The next day he went to the bank and asked to borrow $2,000 for the mill and was turned down. But luck again. While he was at the bank, C.L. Marshall was at his house, renewing his offer, and Gil finally borrowed $2,000 from him, ordered his mill and set about making plans. Now Gil really knew nothing about setting up a mill or how one worked, but he was determined. Enter another friend and more luck. Adolph "Togy" Lobermeier offered to help him set up the mill. "I never would have been able to go into business without Togy. He knew just what to do and how to set up the mill, for it was shipped to me piece by piece." Gil then figured a system to color code the switches for the power settings, built his own conveyor, and he was in business. Laura again worked with him as they started the mill operation. One of his first clients was Atlas Plywood. Gil would work in the woods during the day, cutting and piling. Then he would bring it in and had a night crew to do the sawing. He set a record with Atlas Plywood by bringing in the first load of lumber each morning for some 30 days straight. Now, Gil had established a pattern, and he found himself working around the clock for the next 11 years. Finally, his doctor told him to cut it out or he'd be in the grave. So he cut back to a regular 10 to 12 hours a day. When we visited the mill things were humming. Gil's son Lee works with him, and on this particular day he had additional help. "You might call it bribery," Gil admitted. "for they are relatives and they are working for me now, because on Thursday I'm taking them all to Canada to do some fishing." Gil kept acquiring land, and at one time had pretty near a section. Today his home and mill site are on 120 acres in Hazelhurst. The farming desire of Gil's has also been satisfied. We took a ride to the back 40 where Gil has his garden. He grows corn and potatoes and his yield is terrific.Gil also has strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, and he's even added apple trees to his land. Probably his favorite area in the back is the land he's kept in a natural state...and even improved on. There's a little lake tucked behind a hill. Gil dredged it some to make it bigger, named it "Bar-Jean" after his two daughters -- Barbara and Betty Jean-- then planted acres of clover around the lake for the deer to browse on. There are fish in the lake, the ducks are currently nesting in the low areas, and song of the birds fill the air. "I've got what I want in my life," Gil admitted. And indeed he has: his family, his home, his mill, his garden and his woods...and he earned every bit of it. But he's still the same Gil and told us, "you know sometimes people who have humble beginnings...well', they get too cocky when they are successful. They try to act like more than they are. That's wrong. They should remain humble. Gil also had a few words to say about the youth of today. "I think all kids should have little jobs. It's the way to teach them responsibility. If they work they know that they can stand on their own two feet, and they don't have to go around robbing others and getting into trouble. If they would work, they wouldn't have so many problems." And work it is for Gil. "I will never retire. I don't believe in it. Man has to keep busy. I'm going to work 'till I drop dead, for I'm happy working. It's Gil's philosophy of life, and it's brought him all the things he's dreamed of ... and more.
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