(Our editor and friendFred Berner penned this col-

umn for the newspaper’scentennial edition in 2005.

We thought it was appropri-ate to reprint today, as we

celebrate his life. Mr. Bernerpassed away on Monday,

while preparing that day’sedition.)

By FRED BERNER Antigo Daily

Journal Editor I guess I'm just a lucky

guy. I've been in a newspaper

publishing family for morethan 57 years and here at adesk at the Antigo DailyJournal for about 34 of them.But for the other 23, I don'tthink I got too far away fromit.

When I arrived in 1948 myfather was editing the news-paper and running the busi-ness with his brother, Henry,and when I was old enoughto know, I was at the officewith dad and mom was athome doing the books forWATK radio.

The newspaper plant wasmy sandbox. Harvey Goebel,Mux Mader, Dick Baraniakand Charlie Fogeltanz wouldsit me in front of the type

cases and I'd fiddle all kindsof time away. The newspaperoffices before 1972 was amassive building with a mil-lion hiding places and morethan ample situations formechanized danger — justthe sort of thing a kid loves.

At 12 I was a paper carri-er and at 16, worked in thepress room dropping off bun-dles of papers.

I was shown how to oper-ate some of the commercialpresses and still know a lit-tle something about how theflavor of ice cream got print-ed on the Hy Land Lakesboxes.

For years the biggest jobin the commercial printingshop was publication of theNational Mutual BenefitNews for a Madison-basedfraternal insurance compa-ny. I spent what seemed likea lot of time either mailing orworking on the press fourdecades or so ago.

After high school therewere four and one-half yearsof college and a stint as edi-tor of the Hartford Times-Press in that delightfulWashington County commu-nity. During those universityyears I had convinced myself

that there were greaterpressmen and I certainlyshould not try to compete.

And I got a real lesson underfire at the Hartford Times-Press, coming in the door

thinking I knew it all. It wasa matter of bumping into areal boss, John Shinners, a

towering man, who did knowit all.

In a photo taken from the cover of the 2005 centennial edition of the Antigo Daily Journal, Fred Berner and his mother,Marie, hold a portrait of one of the original Berner brothers, Henry, in front of the newspaper office. They are surrounded

by members of the Journal family at the time.

For Editor Fred Berner, career in news, business a mix of luckSee Column Back Page

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p g p y,

The time in Hartford was alearning experience in anumber of facets because itopened a technology windowthat was carefully recordedand in 1972, I brought thoselessons back to Antigo tomodernize the Antigo DailyJournal.

And today, here I am. The luck in this mix is that

I truly like what I'm doing.

It offered great opportuni-ties including a press confer-ence and cocktail party at theWhite House when GeraldFord was in office, I've hadthe opportunity to meetdozens of political figureswhen they are making theirpre-election tours ofWisconsin and have workedwith some of the finest peopleanywhere on communityprojects in Antigo andLanglade County.

Of course, there have beentragedies, too, including arather spectacular mix ofdeath and crime. But theyadd the spice and excitementto the more flowery thingsmany of us are involved in.

That mix of fun, accom-plishment and: excitementmake this a very interestingand rewarding job and thenyou can toss in the people Iwork with and you recognize

at 34 years, it is difficult to beconsidered a veteran aroundhere.

Earle Holman, who waseditor emeritus and our his-torical writer when I arrivedin 1972, worked for the DailyJournal for 71 year's beforeretiring for health reasons.We still have a couple with uswith 62 and 63 years of serv-ice to the newspaper printingbusiness — a total of 125years.

Our pressman startedwhen he was 12 years old asa paper carrier out of the old533 Superior St. plant, andremains here today. Andthere are others who saidthey were just joining us for ayear or two who now havebeen around for decades.

I keep adding elements tothis picture including therewards, excitement, people Iwork with and a supportiveand interested family as thereason I do like what I amdoing.

Then mix in the challengeof meeting the expectations ofsubscribers and the complex-ities of keeping the businessprofitable and aggressive,and you have some realexcitement.

Some young people whoare asked to step into a fami-ly business absolutely hate itand I'm sure that we all cancome up with examples.

See what I mean? Plenty of luck.

Continued

Column

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At 1:50 in the afternoon on Monday, Alturned 42 levers on his meticulously main-

tained press and the big Goss started to roll.

Ka-chunk, ka-chunk, ka-chunk, sendingout 182 copies a minute of the Antigo DailyJournal.

We were 10 minutes late. Fred would notbe pleased.

Early that day, our publisher, editor, boss,and friend, Fred Berner, came to work—waybefore dawn as was his custom—took off hisjacket and began what was scheduled to behis final week producing the newspaper towhich he had devoted his life. He liked thatquiet time of day, perusing the AssociatedPress wire, surrounded by the various accou-trements of the business. He was unhurriedand unharried.

The day had a plan and there would be noreason to be late.

But daily newspapering is unlike any otherbusiness and no plan goes unpunished. Atage 71, robust and looking forward to a longfuture, Fred passed away at his desk.

It was, as a journalist friend said, a horri-ble, yet fitting and even poetic end.

There is a reason for the stereotype of ahard-living, hard-driving newspaper editor—think Jason Robards in “All the President’sMen” —it’s a tough business.

News is often unpleasant, whether it be ahouse fire that kills a family, a car accidentthat leaves a teen-ager maimed, or a politicalscandal that cheats the public and robs theirpocketbooks. Court proceedings must bereported and that may involve friends andperhaps even family. The hours are atrocious.

But there are wonderful moments, too. TheChristmas parades and chili cookouts, theyouth fair, the ability to hobnob with game-changing leaders, and the opportunity toshare the honor rolls, the anniversaries andthe accomplishments. It’s all part of thegame.

And every day, the ka-chunk, ka-chunk ofthat big Goss.

Fred loved it all. He was a chronicler of thecommunity. Hundreds, thousands of times,he penned the first line of the historicalrecord, long before the rewrites.

He loved Antigo with an unrivaled yetquiet passion. He mourned its shortcomingsand reveled in its successes.

As one person wrote in a tribute, “he mademe proud of my hometown.”

He could be imposing, always in a good suitor sport coat and tie, and he could be self-effacing. A couple decades back he cameacross one of those” “you know you’re from asmall town” ditties that talked about being anewspaper publisher. He reveled in the factthat he fit the bill perfectly, right down toalways carrying a camera and running (ifnecessary) a paper route.

Above all, he could be brave, standing upfor his family and his community. And one of

We remember oureditor and friend, he

would be pleased

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the bravest things he didwas realizing that in a chang-ing business environment,the best way to ensure a suc-cessful, stable future for theAntigo Daily Journal wasthrough an association with alarger organization. Heresearched carefully to find agood fit with his philosophy ofcommunity journalism, andsigned the papers in June,transferring the newspaperto Adams Publishing Group.

It was time to turn thepage, start the next chapter,pick whatever publishingcliche you wish. It was timeto revisit some old hauntsand find some new. It wastime to relax with his belovedKay, play board games withfriends, watch those oldSherlock Holmes and ThinMan movies that he couldrecite by heart, and readthose books he never hadtime to finish.

At the same time he want-ed to remain involved. Hewanted to keep writing hisBits & Pieces and his 50 and75-Years-Ago Peeps at OurPast. He wanted to be reliedupon to run a paper route ortwo and certainly grab a cam-era and cover an event.

He was ready to retire. Hewasn’t ready to leave.

Our Antigo Daily Journalfamily feels Fred’s lossdeeply. And we have a respon-sibility to our—and Fred’s—larger family that encom-passes the Antigo, LangladeCounty and farther-afieldcommunities we serve.

On Saturday, we will saygood-bye to Fred. As someonenoted earlier in the week, forthe first time in the Journal’s115-year history, there will beno Berner in the building, atleast not in a physical sense.But Fred’s legacy, his knowl-edge, his love of the commu-nity and of us, permeateseverything we do. He taughtus well.

And when that big Gossstarts ka-chunking in a fewhours, we will be on time.

Fred would be pleased.-30-

Continued

Fred Berner

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