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Horse & Buggy Days

Jeff and Jean Loehrke named king and queen

By Angie Landsverk


After years of handling the lineup for Weyauwega’s Horse and Buggy Days Parade, Jeff and Jean Loehrke are riding in the parade themselves this year.

They are the Horse and Buggy Days king and queen.

“I feel proud,” Jean said of being asked to serve as the royal couple.

Jeff feels the same way.

The 59th annual event is Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20-21, in downtown Weyauwega.

A pool tournament and music are Friday night’s features.

Saturday’s activities include a pancake breakfast, parade, craft and vendor sale, pie social, lost art demonstrations, music and more.

See the full schedule in the Sept. 19 issue of the Waupaca County Post.

Memories

Jeff and Jean have many Horse and Buggy Days memories.

He has lived in the area all his life and was a youngster when the event began.

“I lived on a dairy farm. Everyone came down. The stores were open,” Jeff said. “There was always polka music in the tent on Friday and Saturday nights. It was huge. The streets were full.”

Jean grew up in Kimberly and moved to the area about 40 years ago.

“I remember working at Churny back then,” she said. “We worked so fast to get done by 10. We always seemed to get down here just in time to see the bed races.”

Both of them remember those races, and Jeff still has pictures of some of them.

“Everybody was dressed up,” he said of his other memories. “There were thrashing machines right on Main Street and so many horses.”

She remembers the men who grew beards for that annual contest.

Jeff and Jean became involved in Horse and Buggy Days about eight years ago.

That was when there were questions whether it would continue.

“We just had a big street party,” she said. “It was just to keep the tradition. We didn’t want to lose it.”

They have been handling the parade lineup ever since.

Jeff is usually one of the parade announcers.

His brother, Jerry, is doing so this year.

Family event

The parade begins at 11 a.m.

Jean and Jeff are excited to be part of it and to participate in the Friday brunch with past royalty and visit area elementary students.

“We will see some of our grandchildren,” she said.

Jean has two daughters, one son and five grandchildren.

Jeff has two daughters, two sons and 11 grandchildren.

Jean and Jeff are celebrating 25 years of marriage on Sept. 17.

They live in the town of Saxeville and owned Loehrke’s Trading Post for 16 years.

She is retired, and he is semi-retired.

Jeff is also a former West Bloomfield fire chief who says he has always liked being around people.

“It’s so nice that everybody gets together,” he said of the Horse and Buggy Days tradition continuing.

Jean said, “When you grow up in a community, you’re part of that community. I’m so glad I’m here.”

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