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ABOUT US

 

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE        


 

Welcome

In our community everybody knows each other. It’s a friendly atmosphere
which makes living here a pleasant experience. We are a locally owned
and operated community bank. Our bank was chartered June 20, 1902
and is Rusk County’s oldest bank. Our main office is located in Bruce
 with branch banks in Exeland and Sheldon.

We want to be your bank. We look at the needs of our customers and
continue to move forward with progressive banking. We offer time saving services like 24 hour phone banking, Online computer banking, bill pay,
check cards and a ATM in Bruce. We offer a full line of deposit and loan products at very competitive rates.

We feel our well trained staff with many years of experience is the
strength and prosperity of our bank. They understand your needs and
are here, ready to serve you as efficiently as possible, with all your many banking needs.

Community involvement is a top priority. Our employees are local basketball and baseball coaches, teachers of Sunday school, Cub Scout and Girl Scout leaders. We feel strongly about supporting local projects, organizations and schools through donations.

We are committed to serving our local area. We want your banking
needs to be quicker, easier and comfortable for you as a customer.
Our saying is “Where banking is still a people business”.
 

Thank you for visiting our website. Please continue to browse through
our services. If you have any suggestions or changes please tell us.


R.W. Hegeholz
President

 

MISSION STATEMENT


 

We pledge to provide unparalleled services and products made possible
by our professional and courteous staff.

 

HISTORY                                          


 

Rusk County’s oldest bank was chartered on June 20, 1902 and was
known as Lumberman’s State Bank. Officers were D.J. Arpin, President;
E.P. Arpin, Vice President; A.P. Arpin, Cashier.

In 1918 Dr. H.C. Johnson of Glen Flora was named President. The
bank’s name was then changed to the State of Bruce, as farming was
quickly overshadowing the lumbering business in the Bruce area.
President Johnson was also the President of the Sate Bank of Glen
Flora.

In 1935 the State Bank of Bruce merged with Farmer’s State Bank of
Sheldon and the State Bank of Exeland. The name was changed to the Dairyland State Bank on July 15, 1935

W.F. Dietlein was the President in March 1936 and served with Directors
C.M. Sanford, H.B. Cox, L.W. Ham, O.J. Falge, Robert Schultz and A.A. Veness.

Dairyland State Bank was sold to K.A. Garnatz in 1948 and to Otto
Olson in 1952. Olson was made President, succeeding R.W. Schultz
of Bruce.

The Bank was sold in 1953 to two men, including Colonel Charles
Lindberg and Willard Mertz. Mertz resigned due to misappropriation of funds. The F.D.I.C. declared the Bank to be sound and the stock was
sold to a large group of investors. The new Directors elected R.W.
Schultz as President. Directors included O.J. Falge, Ralph Jenkins,
Harold Sanford and Ben Scheifelbein. Melvin W. Swanson was named
Cashier in 1960. In 1971 the Directors elected Al Capp as President.

C.D.Hegeholz, President of the Chippewa Valley Bank in Winter and the
State Bank of Park Falls, purchased the bank in 1973. The total bank
deposits at the time of purchase were $7 million. The Board of Directors consisted of President C.D. Hegeholz, Myron Hawley, Franz Gerber,
William G. Leuell, Harold Sanford, Mel Swanson and Ed Walters. Bert
Beilfus served as Cashier.

 

Before Demolition  
 
A new bank building was constructed in 1979, replacing old and vacant buildings, including the Bruce Opera House, Maddocks Drug Store, The Melody Bar and the Stone Texaco Station. The Exeland Branch had
previously been built in 1974 and a new building in Sheldon was completed
in 1983.
     
After Demolition  



In 1985 the bank was sold by C.D. Hegeholz to Arnold Stueber, Sr.
of Park Falls. Mr. Stueber was also the owner of Stueber Beverages, distributing Pepsi products in Northern Wisconsin. R.W. Hegeholz was
elected President in 1991.

Local ownership was once again gained when the current owners of the Dairyland State Bank purchased the Bank from Arnold Stueber, Sr. in September 1993. Current owners of the bank are David J. Dewey, R.W. Hegeholz, Lorna J. Meyer, Matthew Sieg, Kempton Spooner and Norman Spooner.

Directors currently consist of President R.W. Hegeholz, C.D. Hegeholz, Kempton Spooner, Norman Spooner, David J. Dewey, Lorna J. Meyer,
Matthew Sieg, Randi Osberg, David Brost and Donald Quade. Total
deposits in 2003 were 30.5 million. R. W. Hegeholz continues to lead
the Dairyland State Bank as President and Chief Executive Officer.

 


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