Dead Page: Ralph Stayer, Founder of Johnsonville Sausage Company

Being an account of some recent deaths I believe have had an impact on us, or, who have lived an interesting life.

RALPH F. STAYER- 1915-2007

Founder of Johnsonville Sausage Co.

If you're like me and think a great brat is one of the finest items you can eat, you'll be sad to hear that the founder of the Johnsonville Sausage Co., Ralph Stayer, died yesterday at age 92. In 1945, he bought a struggling butcher shop and turned it into a million dollar business. He started with nothing and the company now does business in 40 countries.

He was born in Ely, MN, and moved to Milwaukee where he dropped out of high school one month before graduation to help support his struggling family during the Great Depression. His son, Ralph C. Stayer, said, "He always had a great sense of responsibility."

The butcher shop was struggling in 1945. One day, he and his wife attended a picnic and noticed the garbage cans were full of partly eaten brats. People must not have liked them. This got them to thinking and they decided to create the perfect brat, and that they did using an old family recipe. They were of Austrian and Slovenian heritage, so that helped.

Under his son's leadership, the company has gone worldwide with sales in most states. Their products are served at 16 NFL stadiums and seasonally at 4000 McDonald's nationwide. I know a Johnsonville brat will quickly get me into a McDonald's. Last year, we had a place on the Chain that sold them for 50 cents as a Wednesday special. I would often get by there for it. Unfortunately, they dropped it for this year.

The company is a main sponsor for Madison, Wisconsin's Memorial Day weekend Brat Festival. Folks consumed 190,000 of them this past year. I'll have to remember to go there in the future.

Hey, pass the brats.


HANK MEDRESS 1939-2007

DooWop singer with the Tokens on "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"


I can hear some of you singing "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight" right now. I know I am. I'm having problems with the high notes, though.

Hank Medress died at age 68. He was a founding member of the Tokens who had their greatest success with an old Zulu song, that had become a quite popular folk song by the Weavers. They took it to number one on the pop charts for three weeks with their catchy "wimoweh".

He originally formed a group with friends from Lincoln High School in 1955 and called themselves the Link-Tones. One of the members was Neil Sedaka. Once he left to go solo, Medress formed the Tokens and in 1961 had that huge hit. They did have a few smaller hits, but nothing to top "Lion".

He left in 1973 and persuaded record executive Tony Orlando to do the vocals on "Knock Three Times" and also produced "Candida".

Now, Get That Song Out of Your Head!!!!