"It was a breezy Friday morning at the museum and the sun was shining through the front windows. Two gentlemen walked through the door and were greeted with a smile and a "Welcome". "It looks a lot different in here," says the older man, also noticing the distinct smell of the factory building. Assuming he had been in the factory while it was being renovated and not thinking a thing of it I began a conversation about the construction project over the last few years. "Yeah, a lot of work has been done," I said, "When were you in here before?" I got a surprising answer. "Well," he replied, "My name is Fred Haase and I worked in this factory from 1942 until 1948." "I was twelve years old when I started working for Art." It was obvious at that point this wasn't a normal tour. Over the next two hours Fred and his son Doug walked through the factory that Fred had labored in all those years ago telling stories of his time as a Kregel employee.
It was hard for us to imagine going to work at a factory at the age of twelve. Fred explained that most of the workforce was in the service during that time and because he was able-bodied and because the Kregel's needed workers he entered the workforce. Also difficult to visualize, mainly because of current regulatory systems such as HIPAA and OSHA, is a twelve year old being allowed to work in an industrial factory. Fred, like most of the Kregel's employees had to be a jack-of-all-trades. As he told it, he put in his fair share of time on the shear punch and the lathes, but he also went out to the field for repairs if needed. He was even sent out by Art to repair a pitman arm near Julien, NE during an ice storm in Art's old Model T. "It was a 60 foot tower...we didn't use any of those safety belts back then...," he recalled. Something that was obvious during our talks with Fred was the broad changes that have been made in manufacturing in the time since the Kregels were producing windmills. Products simply could not be produced today the way they were during the 20's, 30's, and 40's. Furthermore, the hours of work and craftsmanship that Mr. Haase and his coworkers were putting into each piece that was being produced is rarely seen today.
It is a testament to the preserved state of the museum that someone like Mr. Haase who worked there 70 years ago can walk in the door and comment on how familiar everything is, albeit slightly different. His insight into the personality of Art Kregel was interesting and refreshing as well. His description painted the picture of Art as a man who was generous, caring, and kind; a wholly endearing soul to both work for and be around, and we very much agree. We're positive Art would be proud, honored, and maybe slightly blushed as to the amount of passion that has been put into preserving the history of the Kregel's Factory. We would also like to thank Mr. Haase and his son Doug for visiting the museum and sharing with us what it was like to work for Art in the factory. We hope to see you again soon!"
