By LYDA LANIER
In a posthumous tribute, Robert “Packer Bob” Retzlaff was nominated as a candidate for the Packer Fans’ Hall of Fame. This long-time resident of Valley Junction, who passed away in October, was being recognized by his peers as a No. 1 Packer fan, a designation he earned not by attending all of the home games (which he did), but the effort he put forth to attend the first game of the year.
What became a fixture on the back roads of Wisconsin a week or 10 days before the season’s opener was Packer Bob and his wife Packer Maren, taking a leisurely trip to Green Bay with horse and buggy. Their destination and the team they supported made quite clear, the buggy painted in Packer green and gold and decorated with Packer symbols front, back and sides. Leaving no doubt about their wholehearted support was a Packer flag, making its own statement, attached to the top of the buggy on the back.
Long-time friend of the family in Valley Junction Linda Johnson (herself a No. 1 Packer fan), submitted Bob’s name for Fan of the Year, referring to his dedication and loyalty, the supreme (and enjoyable) effort he made, going by horse and buggy, and the rituals he followed, watching away games at home.
The Packers’ Fan Hall of Fame has been recognizing one fan since 1998 for the purpose of annually honoring a devout and longtime Packer fan. From more than 100 nominations this year, 10 finalists were selected. The public then was invited to vote on their favorite. This year, more than 40,000 votes were cast from throughout the United States and countries around the world; voting was done online during January. We could vote often but only once a day.
To have Packer Bob nominated for this honor made it seem like a good idea to talk to Maren about their life together as Packer fans. Maren was his copilot on 14 trips across Wisconsin by horse and buggy. Helping Maren recall these years are hundreds of pictures on the computer screen, newspaper clippings, a scrapbook and her memories.
“This was a 150-mile trip,” she said. “We traveled about 25 to 33 miles a day on the back roads, taking a different route each year through small towns like Chilton, New Holstein, New London, Ortonville, Oneida. The buggy was a two-seater, the seat in back for our dog Mortimer. The state patrol one time clocked us going eight miles an hour.”
Their horse for seven years was Stardust, a palomino appaloosa with blue eyes, temperamental but stylish, aware of his celebrity status.
“We had a few close calls,” Maren said. “Semis going by could make our horse head for the ditch, even on back roads, but no one ever got hurt.”
Trips required long-range planning for a van where they slept overnight, a shuttle car and a map, with family and friends enlisted to help along the way. “We’d look for little bars outside of towns where we could keep the horse, eat, use the bathroom.” Maren noted, “These are getting fewer and far between.”
People along the way were mostly good, such as a new friend Fred who invited them to spend the night. Another brought them a homemade apple pie from the local farmer’s market. A total stranger paid for a motel room overnight and took them out for dinner, “and he was wearing a Bears shirt,” said Maren.
“In one situation, construction workers on the highway shut everything down and let us go through,” Maren said.
The award ceremony in February in the press conference room at Lambeau Field attracted about 150 people, with each nominee bringing up to 10 guests. Representing the Retzlaffs were relatives from Wisconsin and as far away as Kansas, knowing it was an honor to be recognized as one of the top 10.
Selected by votes and a committee was an 87-year-old woman from Green Bay, who will have her name permanently displayed in a place of honor in the Green Bay Packers’ Hall of Fame. She also receives club seats for a home game, a gift certificate for the Packers Pro Shop, tickets to a Packers away game plus expenses and a year’s subscription to Packers Plus.
Said Maren, “It was an honor to get this far.”
After the passing of her husband, Maren moved to horse country at the foot of Wildcat Mountain State Park in rural Ontario, where she lives in a semi duplex with her daughter from an earlier marriage and her husband, Jessica and Kale Winchel. The 27-acre farm, called Hillside Acres, is home to a machine shop and a variety of animals: ducks, chickens, goats, cats, a yak named Roosevelt and two dogs. “They all have names,” said 10-year-old grandson Tyler Winchel, who sat in on this interview, “because,” he said, “this is interesting.”
A horse will be added to this menagerie. “A buggy and riding horse is being trained by an Amish neighbor,” said Maren, “so I can use the buggy when I want to.”
Look for it down the road: a bright green and gold Packer buggy you cannot miss. Robert Retzlaff’s spirit lives on. Packer loyalty can never be retired and does not pass away.