Bob Jacqmin 

Bob shares some common traits with a number of men of Council 10243 who came into the Knights many years ago--an interesting story and a time of being inactive.  He came to Chilton in 1947 and went into business with a Red Owl Agency.  After becoming attached to St. Mary’s Church in Chilton where a strong Knights of Columbus Council was operating, he was invited several times to get involved in the Knights.  He finally decided to take the leap, making First, Second and Third Degree all on the same day.  He recalls some sixty men being a part of that exemplification.  The Chilton Council was quite large at the time, and the men who were a part of it appreciated the social aspect of membership in the Knights--many were farmers from the surrounding area who liked to get together occasionally for some social time.  There were not a lot of activities going on, given the tough time schedule that many members had to adhere to.  This gave Bob the impression of the Knights being a primarily social organization.  After moving to Green Bay in 1955, Bob was employed by Fort Howard on the night shift, and found that the time left for the Knights was very limited.  He dropped out of KC activities and never transferred to a local council.  That led to his becoming inactive.  Upon coming to Green Bay, Bob and his family were members of Annunciation and Cathedral parishes before finally settling in the St. Bernard area after a little over two years in Chicago.   He left Fort Howard in 1966 and took a job which involved calling on paper mills and utilities, and again being out of town and on the road left little opportunity to get involved with Knights.

 

Bob also never gave service as a deacon a thought, but Fr. Borusky who was at St. Bernard at the time nudged him in that direction.  He started his preparation for the diaconate in 1977 and was ordained with a class of ten in 1980, a class that also included Ed Gagnon from St. Bernard.  Again, devoting his energies toward the diaconate program left little time for other involvement such as the Knights.  When the new Council 10243 was forming with St. Bernard as its home, Dave Tlachac talked to him about membership.  Although he admits would have never given it much thought, his wife, Vione, encouraged him to get involved again.  Bob became a Charter Member of the new Council and he was instrumental in naming the Council after Msgr. Borusky, who himself was a very active and supportive Knight.   In his time in Council 10243, Bob has been primarily involved in Church-related matters, handling things such as the Marriage Anniversary Recognition, the All Souls commemoration and the Christmas Poster Contest.  After hearing Fr. Al talk about Fourth Degree some time back, he spoke to Vione about it and decided to become a Fourth Degree member in 1993.  He still serves the Council as Co-Director of Church Activities and he and Vione are proud of their selection as Family of the Year (1992-93), as the certificate hanging on his wall attests.

 

Vione and Bob celebrate 55 years of marriage in 1995 and, though retired, they both continue in service to the Church.  Bob has been involved with parish communion services and Masses at Bornemann Nursing Home for 17 years now.  He and Vione have six children--four girls and two boys.  Several live in the Milwaukee area, and others are as far away as Dallas.   At one time Bob sang with ‘Barbershoppers’ and enjoyed cross country skiing.  He has also held season tickets to the Packer Games since the stadium opening in 1957.  He will turn 77 this June, and for relaxation he enjoys fish fries, reading and a good game of bridge with friends or in a bridge club.  His service to the Church as an ordained minister and his involvement with the Knights have been an example for many of what an active, Christian life is all about.

May 1995