Calkins ‘cared greatly about the job he did’
By Heather Ruenz
Editor
The greater Palmyra community will not be the same without Stewart Calkins, whether at the local café in the morning, Palmyra Town Board meetings or the various community events he has frequented throughout his lifetime.
Calkins died Jan. 8 at the age of 85. He served on the Town Board for 40 years – 14 as a supervisor and 26 as chairman – before retiring in 2013.
George Ventura, who worked alongside Calkins on the Town Board for 20 years, said Calkins was a great friend and a great man.
“What I can tell you is no more honest man ever walked this side of the earth,” Ventura said earlier this week.
Ventura, who came from a manufacturing background, and Calkins, who came from an educated, farming background, said he and Calkins “kidded one another about our different backgrounds. We could always work together and always had a great time,” he said.
“We both had no axe to grind other than taking care of the people,” Ventura said.
Even in trying situations while on the Town Board together, Ventura said he enjoyed the time he spent with Calkins.
“Some of the tough things we did were plow roads together in the winter and in the summer we fixed the roads but always had fun.”
Ventura said Calkins had a great sense of humor and enjoyed sharing a laugh with others.
“One summer during a fierce storm, the three of us board members at the time (Ventura, Calkins and John Mason) went out to clear the roads as there were trees down all over,” Ventura said. “At one point I walked down the road a bit to pull a branch that was on the road and fell.”
Ventura said Calkins and Mason ran over to him and asked if he was all right.
“I told them, ‘I’m fine, just thought I’d rest for a little bit.’ We laughed right there in the middle of the road for about 10 minutes,” Ventura said.
Ventura’s wife, Alice, who also knew Calkins, said he “was a very fine gentleman who cared greatly about the job he did on the board and taking care of his family.”
Mason, who served with Calkins on the Palmyra Town Board for 14 years, said Calkins was very dedicated, attending many Jefferson County and local meetings.
But, as with Ventura, Mason recalled the extra effort Calkins put into his job of serving on the Town Board.
“Quite often he would phone me in the middle of the night because there was a tree down, blocking the road,” Mason said. “We would go out and cut up the tree and clear the road. He never complained about those extra, behind-the-scenes jobs.”
Mason said while his duties as town chairman “didn’t pay Stu a lot of money, he put in a lot of time and effort to serve the town.”
Calkins attended local schools and graduated from Palmyra High School in 1947. He then attended the University of Wisconsin’s two-year Agricultural short course. At the age of 24, following the death of his father Calkins took over running the family farm where he lived all of his life.
In 1955, Calkins married Carol Pierce, a schoolmate and farm girl. They raised three daughters in their home on Highway 59 in Palmyra Township.
Calkins was a lifelong member of Palmyra United Methodist Church and its Men’s Club, a member of the local Masonic Lodge for more than 50 years where he served as Master several times. Additionally, Calkins served on the Jefferson County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Committee for 30 years before retiring in 1991.
Stewart and Carol belonged to several local historical societies and were honored in 2001 at the Old Settlers annual picnic in Palmyra. Stewart also served as treasurer for the Hillside Cemetery Association, bowled for many years in Whitewater and in his later years, enjoyed attending auctions at “House in the Woods” and joining his friends for breakfast at the Edge of Town café.
In addition to his wife, Carol, Stewart is survived by his daughters: Nancy (Jon) Denzin, of Whitewater, Gayle (Tim) Beck, of Eagle Township and Mary Beth (Mark) Schmidt, of Palmyra Township; nine grandchildren, Erica (Erik) Allermann, Kyle, Kevin and Calab Denzin, Rachel (Paul Carnot), Betsy and Timmy Beck, and Tyler and Shawn Schmidt; and two great-grandchildren, Mason and Austin Allermann.
An obituary on Calkins appears on page 5.
