Kewaunee County Nicknames

F.D.R. and J.F.K. are known globally. Just how many baptismal names do you know of among the hundreds of Kewaunee County folks known by nicknames? A look through old phone books and business advertising found at both county libraries will give you a chance to find out.

Perhaps you shopped at Blah Barbiaux’ Luxemburg store or bought meat from Foxy or Cuts/Katz Kashik, fish from Bearcat Berkovetz or men’s clothing from Heine Wiese. Toots Wenniger, Shorty Mikle, Jingles, Butch, Killer, Prutz and Goosey Bohman were commercial fishermen known up and down the lakeshore. Goosey owned the Northside Tap where he competed with tavern owners Cozzie Mura, Eppie Boedecker, Nebs Melchior, Blackie Delwiche and Red Zastrow. The Knipfers, both Page 11 and Page 12, had a beer depot. X Naze and Doc Slaby were bankers.

Bumps Nesemann was a Kewaunee physician. His brother Bones was a longtime Algoma pharmacist. Pidge Birdsall and Whitey Ellsworth headed what is now the Hardwoods and Black Jack Jorgenson and Spreader Sibilsky worked there. Cully Serrahn drove truck for the Plumbers. Rio Creek resident Cow Kirchman purchased the Bastar Hotel. Fuzzy Kirchman lives in Rio Creek today. Blue Goose LeCloux repaired shoes and Ole Melchior sold them. Ole’s name was Leo spelled inside out but son Gordy’s was not. He is really Jerome.

Red LaCrosse was Chief of Police. Brownie Cemyla, Seagull Dettman and Pembine Empey served as mayors and Sarge was in the military. Mickey Dettman and Keck Pflughoeft ran barbershops. Hoogie Deprey still does. Sport Fett moved to the state of Alaska and Fat Gerhart ran the hardware store. Yukky Jakobovsky owned the school busses while Knobby Knospe owned a farm implement business. Tiny Nell brought national attention to youth activities.

Maplewood’s Bugs Wagner and Doc Schlise were exceptional basketball players. The Sells, Shiner, Babe and Legs, were noted baseball players. Cowboy Wheeler played for the Packers. Ga-ga Mauer and Gunner Delaruelle excelled in all sports but it was Zug Zastrow who won national fame in the Army-Navy game. Winty Zettle could be found taking tickets at ballgames. Dad Elliott and Scoop Heidmann published the Record Herald. Huntz Nell is an historian. The Meverdens boast Little Barge, Big Barge and just plain Barge. Dippy, Oatsy, Squee and Spaz were Ullspergers. Bing Schmidt apparently had a better voice than Doc and Hertsy. Tippy Toppe is joined by Tarz, Skeebo, Zatka and Muggo who was really Margaret. One-armed Sally Haack was not a woman and who knows how Ratsy got his name. Jag’s name is on billboards all over. His nickname is a pretty good story coming from grade school. One Busch was a Shrub and another gathers no Moss.

Sturgeon Bay residents called those in Ahnapee "Ahnapeepers," apparently part of what prompted a renaming of the community in 1897. A look at the census in those days reveals few little girls named Anna. It was not just Barron and Schmidty today, all those north of the Ahnapee River were Cannucks.

In today’s politically correct society, nicknames such as Belgie, Fat, Queenie, Stinky, and a woman called Eagle Beak would be unacceptable.  Flusher, Pickles and Irish would probably have made it.