Herb Indermuehle worked at the Plainfield Creamery during the depression. The owner, an immigrant from Denmark, decided to return to his homeland as the times were so hard. Herb purchased the creamery at that time, mainly to insure that he would still have a job. In1943, Herb received an offer to sell the creamery that seemed quite good at the time, not sure what he wanted to do next, he packed up and went to work on the Alaska Highway for approximately 8 months. Upon his return, his brother-in-law Delbert Bartling said that a small group of men were going up north to start a cranberry marsh. Want to go along? Herb's reply was "Hell, yes. I'll do anything." Herb was ready for a change and was one of the 7 original cranberry growers in Manitowish Waters who purchased property in the spring of 1946. The parcel Herb chose went from Alder Lake to Little Trout Lake and he chose to call his section Alder Lake Cranberry.
There were no roads to speak of that went to the marsh area - the men drove tractors or homemade swamp buggies to get to the individual marshes. In 1948 a wooden bridge was erected over the Trout River on the south side of the marsh area, this made the area accessible from both directions and much easier and quicker to reach Highway 51. The men worked in the summer months clearing and readying the land, and then returned to their families for the winter months.
In 1948 Herb and his wife Florence permanently moved to the area, after selling their home in Plainfield. In 1950 the first cranberries were delivered to the handler.
Their son Richard H. (Dick) worked summers on the marsh during the early construction and later expansion. In 1955, after graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and having spent a tour in the Army, Dick joined in partnership with his parents to operate the Alder lake Cranberry Co. Dick also married Patricia Speas in 1955. Her parents had a summer resort on Alder Lake where she spent her summers. She attended school in Necedah, WI and graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a degree in nursing. In 1968, Herb retired and Dick ran the marsh.
Herb loved to fish and the area lakes gave him many trophy fish and happy memories. Herb passed away in May of 1997, born in 1900 Herb experienced many exciting events in his lifetime from working at a north woods logging camp, working on the Alaska highway, and being a cranberry pioneer in the North woods of Wisconsin. Herb was always around the warehouse during harvest, some of you might have been fortunate enough to have met him. Florence passed away in July of 1998 at the age of 100.
Dick and Patricia have two children Richard D. and Susan. Besides managing Alder Lake Cranberry, Dick was active in the Wisconsin State Cranberry growers Assoc., the Cranberry Marketing Committee and the Cranberry Institute.
Richard D. worked on the marsh all through school and returned to work full time after graduating in1980 from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a degree in Horticulture. Richard D. married Susan (Sue) Michalsky from Oconomowoc in 1983; they have two sons, Richard J, and Theo. Richard J. graduated from UW Eau Claire, WI and is working in the cranberry business. Theo has also graduated, and is working in the area. Richard D. has assumed the responsibility of running the operation, giving Dick and Patricia more time to enjoy golfing, gardening and traveling.
Susan graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. In 1980, Susan married Thomas Schroeter (from Brookfield, WI) who also graduated from UW Madison. They lived in Grafton, WI until 1983 when they moved up to Manitowish Waters to work in the family cranberry business. Susan and Tom have two sons, they both graduated from UW Madison. Jesse is living and working in Madison, WI, and Joel is attending graduate school and working at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.
