The Norwalk Trailriders Snowmobile Club dedicated its new steel bridge, a roughly $60,000 structure behind the Norwalk Village Park ball diamond, to the late Glenn and Jenny Muehlenkamp and their families on Sunday.
Glenn and Jenny Muehlenkamp farmed for decades just off Highway 71, on the northwest side of Norwalk. Spanning Moore Creek, the bridge sets on the Muehlenkamp property.
Glenn Muehlenkamp died in May 2014; and Jenny Muehlenkamp, in June 2010. Also, their son, Mike Muehlenkamp, died in October 2020, and the bridge is dedicated to his memory as well. Mike was survived by his siblings, Christine Leland, Mary Nading, Patty Anderson, Kathy Nelson, Sheri Flock, Jon Muehlenkamp, Tom Muehlenkamp, and Beth Muehlenkamp.
The snowmobile club, along with Monroe County Forest and Parks Administrator Chad Ziegler, worked together to obtain a Motorized Recreation Grant from the DNR to cover the project’s cost.
The following is an excerpt from Norwalk Trailriders Snowmobile Club member Niel Friske’s speech at the dedication program:
“Thank you for coming to the dedication of this bridge that has been a long time in coming. This bridge location has seen a few different bridges over the years, and I hope this is the bridge to outlast them all.
“We are dedicating this bridge today to Glenn and Jenny Muehlenkamp and their families. The Muehlenkamp family has been very active and involved in snowmobiling in the Norwalk and Monroe County area forever.
“The Muehlenkamps began their Yamaha dealership out of their little shop on the farm in 1968 until 1988, when corporate standards weeded out the ‘little’ dealers after a few ‘low snow years.’ They sold new and used Yamaha snowmobiles, clothing and accessories out of their little shop after they gave up the official Yamaha dealership. They continued as a repair shop for snowmobiles for many people for 26 more years, until 2014. I wonder just how many people here today bought a sled from Muehlenkamp Sales and Service. I know I bought my first machine from them. A 1987 SRV. Great sled, too.
“For a small dealer, the Muehlenkamps did exceedingly well in those early years. In 1972, they sold 70 brand new Yamaha snowmobiles out of their small business, as well as milking 61 Guernsey cows and farming full time. The sales of that number of sleds earned Glenn and Jenny a trip to Japan on a Yamaha factory sightseeing tour.
“During the 1973 to 1977 years, the Muehlenkamps, along with Stub Neuman, Gary Noffke and the Degenhardt family, raced Yamaha SRs and GPXs, and then the SRXs in the area, and won many races during that time.
“All during this time, the Muehlenkamps raised a large family and shared their enthusiasm for the sport with others. They were early members of the Triple Tunnel Riders Snowmobile Club, which consisted of the Kendall, Wilton and Norwalk area snowmobilers, which later became the Norwalk Trailriders Snowmobile Club.
“As well as hosting numerous positions within the club, Mike Muehlenkamp also was a snowmobile safety instructor for many years and had taught so many young people safely how to ride their snowmobiles during the peak years of enthusiasm for snowmobiling.
With Glenn, Jenny and Mike now gone, the remaining Muehlenkamps continue their love of the sport of snowmobiling and the legacy their family is leaving in our area.
“The new bridge would not be possible without the cooperation of the Muehlenkamp family, whose land it also sits; the members of the Norwalk Trailriders; The Snowmobile Trails of Monroe County; and Chad Ziegler of the Monroe County Forestry Department, who did all of the paperwork to apply for the funding needed for this bridge. There was a lot of red tape and paperwork involved in approvals for this bridge, and we could not have done it without Chad over the past two to three years.
“The Muehlenkamp family was in business for 46 years in one form oranother.
“When we have the snow, the trails in Monroe County are some of the best and well maintained in the state. It takes some dedicated club members and commitment from the STMC for the equipment, materials and funding to do projects like this.”