Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Voight, Capelle, Mack
----Source: Tribune Record Gleaner (Loyal, Clark Co., WI) 4/18/1974
Voight, Percy (1974)
Mingling with Mary
In checking the Webster’s New World Dictionary for the meaning of the word “retirement: one would find it to be, “withdrawn or apart from the world.” Perhaps Webster is correct in his meaning, but checking on an article written 17 years ago about Percy Voight and using that word seems to be deceiving, for Voight is perhaps more active now than he was at the age of 62.
Born in Waupun, Wis., in 1895, Voight moved with his parents to Outagamie County for six years. The family next moved to Oshkosh in 1908 when he completed his schooling and in 1914 he moved to Loyal. Coming to Loyal, Voight’s parents purchased the hotel and livery stable, which also had a dance hall, movie house, and tavern in the same area, and was also operated by the Voight’s.
While at the hotel, Voight would transport the business men who came to the area and needed means of getting around. He also worked at a garage and helped with area construction, including the building of the present day postoffice. At the time of constructing the office he earned $2 a day.
In 1918, he was called serve in World War I and did so until 1919. Returning to the Loyal area he sought employment in the post office and was hired as a rural carrier for the northwest-east part of Loyal. His first route began on Feb. 14, 1921. Unlike today, Voight’s means of transportation was horses in the winter and a car in the summer. During the snow months, he used a series of cutters, bob sleds, and buggies, and a Model T Ford was used when roads were passable.
Speaking on the times of snow and muddy roads, he reflected on the Christmas Eve when he didn’t return home until 9 p.m. after starting work at 5 a.m. Voight states that he had to get up and get his horses taken care of and be at the office by 7 and sort the mail and head down the road for the delivering of the mail by 8.
“I recall the times that the snow was so deep that I had to get out and make the trail for the horses to go through, and that’s not the fastest or easiest job to do,” commented Voight, but I always said that the “mail must go through” and it did.
He states that his stable housed four to five steeds at all times, and that it cost more to feed the horses than the family, but horses was the only means to make the 27 miles of route line in those cold, snowy days. Gravel was not put on any of the roads and it took five to six hours to make the 27 miles and later the route was extended to 64 miles in 1942, when a car could be used year around.
During his 37 years of being a rural carrier Voight points out that he had no serious accident but he can remember the time when a pair of high spirited steeds took off without warning and bounced him out of the driver’s seat, or the times when he lost a wheel and had to be plucked from underneath the pile of mail, but he notes, “nothing was too serious to handle.” He also recalls the times when the snow was so deep that to get the horses turned around, they had to be unhitched from the buggy and turned around and re-hitched.
Traveling the many mile route during the winter time Voight would keep a replacement footwarmer at the Philip Capelle farm and thus keep warm for the rest of the route.
Many times, the day got long and tiring and for Mrs. Voight who was waiting with a warm meal, many of the neighbors would call and tell her, “Your husband just passed our place and is headed for home.”
As Spring came, Voight would enjoy the watching of birds and went so far as to build bird houses for those birds who thought mail boxes were for them. Talking about the houses he stated that the birds got so used to seeing him, some of them would not even leave their next when he would deliver the mail.
Voight retired from the postoffice on June 30, 1957, after 37 years, and five months of service to the community. Many people gathered at that time to honor him for his outstanding and dedicated service.
Still remaining in the area, Voight still found time to be a member of many organizations, and contributing to the community all that he could. He served as vice president and president for the Clark County Rural Carriers Association, the Ninth District Rural Carriers Association, and the Wisconsin Rural Letter Carriers Association.
Today Voight is a charter member of the Loyal Rotary Club and has served every office in the American Legion Post 175 of Loyal, except for sergeant-at-arms. At the present time, he is chaplain for the Post. He served as secretary-treasurer for the Loyal Volunteer Fire Department for 12 years, and is still honorary member, but according to him, “I don’t know how good I would be at fighting a fire,” but anyone who knows him would believe that he would try to do his best. Voight is the only original member of the fire department, which was organized in 1924, who still resides in Loyal. He is presently a member of St. Anthony’s Church and a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Today Percy Voight is a familiar figure on the streets of Loyal, and if he isn’t known for hunting, fishing, or watching birds, he is known by many from last fall, when he became lost in a blueberry patch northwest of Neillsville. But according to him, “I just got tired, and wanted to rest for a while and I just happened to extend my nap overnight.”
Percy and his wife, Eleanor, have five children (2 deceased) with Joe and Jon in Wausau and Leabel, (Mrs. Sherrin Mack) of Loyal. In 1970, the Voight’s celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Retirement may be a good word to use for some people, but using the word to describe Percy Voight is discerning, for according to Voight, when asked what he does during the day, “I get up with nothing to do, but by night time I have half of my work done.”
