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Local dairy farmer is the cream of this community's volunteer crop

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Photo by Dan Lassiter

Julie Funk

JANESVILLE — Volunteering has made Julie Funk part of the community.

Most know her as chairwoman of the Rock County Dairy Breakfast. Others are familiar with her through La Prairie 4-H, the Rock County Dairy Promotion Council or St. John Vianney School.

“It gives me a feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment. Plus, it makes me feel like I have self worth,” Funk said of her volunteerism.

Even bigger motivators are the friends she has made and the families she has met through volunteering.

“It’s priceless,” she said.

“When you volunteer, it forces you to get to know people that otherwise you may not have crossed paths with. Those are the people I don’t want to lose touch with. I’ve made great friendships, respect them for what they do and who they are, and it’s a group I want to be involved with.’’

Among those people is Patti Wellnitz, who is a dear friend of Funk and one of her dairy breakfast helpers.

“She’s the one who knows how to make it run and pretty much does everything to make the day a success,” Wellnitz said.

Yet Funk is quick to stress that without Wellnitz, Phyllis Broege, Sandy Larson and her family, the breakfast wouldn’t happen.

“I don’t do that alone. I have the support of all these wonderful people. Nobody wants to have their name attached to that chair role. My name is attached to it, but it should be Julie & Co. They make it very easy for me.’’

Funk’s maternal grandfather, who raised dairy heifers on a small Hortonville farm next to her childhood home, nurtured her love of animals and farming.

“My goal was to someday live on a farm. I thought it would be a great place to live,” she said.

It is.

For the past 22 years, Funk and her husband have raised their three children on the Funk family farm south of Janesville.

Promoting and educating others about the dairy industry are important to Funk, who taught middle school for 11 years until her youngest was born. When she left teaching, she got more involved in her husband’s three-generation family farm. The choice, she said, was right for her family.

“It slowed our lives down,” Funk said.

But not for long.

When Funk’s daughters got involved in the La Prairie 4-H Club, so did she. Funk became a member of the advisory board. She served as club co-chairwoman and leader of Cloverbuds and the dairy project. She coached the softball team. Today, she is chairwoman of the club’s annual spaghetti fundraiser, which she and friend Kris Schroeder started, and co-chairwoman of the club’s Christmas service project.

“She’s extremely involved and is always willing to help in any way. When you say 4-H, you know she’s in it,” said Lori Kisting, whose family also is involved in La Prairie 4-H and is a good friend of Funk.

Funk loved teaching, but she put her family first. So when her daughters played volleyball at St. John Vianney School, she coached both of their teams and served on the athletic board.

“She works with her husband all day at the farm. Her kids are involved in a lot of activities. She’s there for all of them,’’ Wellnitz said.

“She’s a great asset to the community, whether it’s working at the farm or making people aware of the dairy industry. She’s very giving and caring and would do anything for anyone.’’