Down Memory Lane with Dave Gietzel

Dave Gietzel lives on a quiet dead-end street in small town Monticello. His home is neat and tidy and blends in seamlessly with the homes around him. What lies below, in his basement, is a collection of registered dairy memorabilia – and maybe more appropriately termed as a mini museum of dairy history and collectables.

Dave grew up in Horicon in Dodge County, a county rich with dairy history. While not growing up on a farm, Dave was always interested in dairy farming. Much of this interest started when he went to the Dodge County Fair and picked up any AI catalog he could. Dave would study sire stacks and pedigrees of these stud bulls. His first catalogs included books of Holsteins, Jerseys and Guernseys, all of which were quickly memorized, and were the gateway to the collection Dave has today.

Over time, he picked up more bull books from places like Farm Progress Days and started sending away to countries like Germany and Japan.

Since Dodge County is a county rich in dairy, Dave’s passion for the industry grew when his family moved out to the country where their home was surrounded by dairy farms. He worked at Braunschweig Dairy in Burnett which was, at the time, one of the highest producing herds in the state.

Braunschweig Dairy sold their cows in 1978 and their sale catalog is among Dave’s most prized possessions. It sits on display next to the Hageman Holsteins Dispersal catalog and the Paclamar Farms catalog. In total, he has over 1,300 sale catalogs. Through his years of collecting sire books, breed magazines, breed directories and much more, Dave’s favorite items are from the Registered Holstein breed. He jokes, but with an air of seriousness, that if his house was on fire the Paclamar sale catalog from 1967 would be the first thing he grabs. Paclamar Bootmaker became Dave’s favorite sire over the years. In 1977, Dave was fortunate enough to tour Paclamar Farms when the National Holstein Convention was held in Colorado. Located in Boulder, Paclamar was a progressive herd for their time. They bred from some of the big-name cows of the time like Harborcrest Rose Milly EX-97 and were incredibly successful at merchandising and advertising. His appreciation for Bootmaker is seen in pieces throughout his collection including a painting of Wapa Bootmaker Mandy that he found on eBay for $50. The painting is an original work by an artist named Barb Spike. The painting hangs

by the World Dairy Expo Reserve Junior Champion Bull banner from 1969 and a premier exhibitor banner from the International Livestock Exposition also from 1969.

These banners, in addition to trophies and other awards on display in Dave’s basement, were acquired from R. Dale Jones’ wife through an auction. “Situations like that are just dumb luck,” Dave says. After the auction he came back with a truck load of memorabilia that is now proudly on display.

Among the collections of books, paintings and awards is an extensive collection of breed magazines. Dave has about 700 issues of the Canadian Holstein Journal. His collection of the Holstein World is complete from 1950 on and includes approximately 1750 issues including those from when the publication was distributed weekly. Other magazines in the collection are the Brown Swiss Bulletin, The Red Bloodlines, the Wisconsin Holstein News, Holstein International, New York Holstein News and the New England Holstein News.

All catalogs and magazines are archived physically and digitally. To keep track of his collections, Dave scans in the covers of each publication or catalog then organizes them appropriately.

In the time of the internet, a lot of items and collectables are found on eBay and through the Dairy Memorabilia Facebook group. Through these groups, Dave can work with other collectors to help add to their collection or his own. Often on eBay, Dave can find some great collectables for a fair price like the Bootmaker Mandy painting.

His newest collection is a myriad of old photographs from a farmer in Indiana with Holsteins, Jerseys and Ayrshires. Some are identified on the back, and some aren’t with those requiring some historical research as to what animals are captured in the shot. The stacks of images cover a coffee table in his basement waiting for their time to be organized and identified among the rest of his collection.

Some interesting items in Dave’s collection: - Any velvet covered sale catalog cover. On display is the Romandale Sale catalog, a favorite among collectors, and another featured is one of the first Mayer Holsteins sale catalogs. - The Sidney Wanzer Memorial Award for C Lochlo Reflector Shirley from R. Dale Jones’ herd. Next to it is the 1882 Smith and Powell Holstein Cattle book that documents some of the first imported animals into the US. - Early Holstein herd books including the first volume from 1886 and the Holstein Foundation’s book from 1872. Dave acquired these from New York. Over time, Dave filled in his collection with later volumes and now has 233 of these books. He is only missing two volumes, 219 from 1972 and 220 from 1973. - Holstein World All-American Selections poster from 1927. Dave has several posters featuring All-Americans – 47 posters in total. These are stored away in a filing cabinet. - Ideal Holstein Cow and Bull paintings from 1923 acquired from eBay.

Images from Dave’s collection: vertical images, 1. World All-Americans poster from 1927 and 2. A corner of Dave’s basement that displays ideal Registered Holstein paintings and ideal registered cows; row one: 1. Ideal Registered Holstein Bull, 2. Banners from R. Dale Jones and 3. Early Holstein Herd books; row two: 1. A Registerd Holstein cow in Dave’s newly aquired photo collection, 2. Curtiss Sire Selection guide that helped breeders identify bulls for mating based on traits they want to correct or enhance, 3. Painting of Wapa Bootmaker Mandy by Barb Spike; row three: 1. The inside of the Holstein Foundations, 2. Dave’s collection of Ideal Registered Holstein Cows, 3. The Sidney Wanzer Memorial Award for C Lochlo Reflector Shirley from R. Dale Jones’ herd, 4. The Paclamar Disperal catalog and Mayer Farms sale catalog; row 4: A bull from the new photo colection; 2. The Braunschweig Dispersal catalog from 1978 and the Hageman Holsteins Dispersal sale catalog; 3. The Smith and Powell Holstein Cattle book that documents some of the first imports of Registered Holsteins and 4. Painting of C Apache Citation Aspirant painted in 1976 by Hitoshi Matsudo

© Cybil Fisher

Thank you to Smith-Crest Holsteins for your care of Doodle and for being a part of her 2021 success! Ashley Carns 608-482-3366 Embryo inquires welcome! R-Homestead Jacby Doodle -ET Jacoby x EX-91 Archrival (Maternal Sister: Oakfield GC Darby-ET EX-95) x EX-91 Dundee x EX-92 Durham x EX-93 x EX-90 x EX-90 • All Wisconsin and Jr. All-Wisconsin Summer Jr. 2-Year-Old • Res. Int. Champion of the Jr. Show & HM Grand Champion of the Jr. Show, Wisconsin Summer Championship Holstein Show • 4th Summer Jr. 2-Year-Old, International Junior Holstein Show

Rafiki

Dreamhaven King Doc Rafiki

King Doc x GP-83 2Y Crush x 8 generations of VG and EX dams 14th Spring Calf, Int. Jr. Holstein Show shown by Melanie Zillges

© Cybil Fisher

Dreamhaven Doorman Bellabee

Doorman x VG-88, EX-MS Windbrook x 5 generations of EX dams • Jr. All-Wisconsin and Res. All-Wisconsin Spring Yearling • 2nd Spring Yearling, International Jr. Holstein Show • 2nd & 1st Jr. Spring Yearling, HM Jr. Champ of the Jr. Show, Wisconsin Summer Championship Holstein Show • 3rd & 1st Jr. Spring Yearling, District 10 Holstein Show shown by Brooke Zillges

Ryan-Vu Drifter Retire

Drifter x VG-86 Avalanche x EX-94 Atwood from the Roxys 6th & 3rd Jr., 1st B&O Fall Yearling, Wisconsin Summer Championship Holstein Show 2nd & 2nd Jr., 1st B&O Fall Yearling, District 10 Holstein Show owned with Dylan and Cameron Ryan shown by Maria Zillges Retire

We feel honored and blessed to have the opportunity to exhibit these homebred heifers. They competed very well this year especially at World Dairy Expo! Yet, we know our accomplishments could not happen without the fantastic people at the shows and back home. Fearing we will forget someone we won’t list names and extend our gratitude to everyone who assisted and supported us. Bellabee is due in April and Retire is due in December. We look forward to their continued development! Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2022!!

Maria, Brooke and Melanie Zillges and Family Larsen, WI klcowlady@gmail.com • 920.779.0332