Fred Marty, 76, Pioneer Cheese Inspector, Dies
reprinted from
The Monroe Evening Times, July 9, 1954

Fred Marty, 76, of 620 22nd avenue, prominently identified with the Swiss cheese industry for more than a half century, died today at 9:20 a.m. in St. Clare hospital.

He entered the hospital June 14 for treatment of a tumor condition for which he had undergone surgery previously.

Mr. Marty was widely known throughout the state and also nationally for his work in quality control of Swiss cheese.  For a quarter of a century, until his retirement, he had judged foreign type cheese at national expositions and also at Wisconsin state fairs.

Born in Switzerland

A brother of Carl Marty, Sr., another leading figure in early cheese history, Mr. Marty was born in the village off Thayngen, Canton Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Nov. 28, 1877.  His parents were Jacob and Anna Kathrina Burkhalter Marty.

The father and an older brother, Jacob, Jr., came to this country in 1883 and made Swiss cheese in various areas before coming to Green County in 1885.  Fred Marty and several other members of the family arrived from Switzerland in 1886 and the following year, Carl and the remainder of the children came here.

Fred Marty started early as a Swiss maker and operated at the Stauffacher factory in Dutch Hollow, the Klassy factory west of Monticello and Lawver factory, Cadiz township.

Taught Short Course

In 1901 he left the Lawver factory to take up traveling instruction work for the Wisconsin Dairymen's Association.  From 1901 to 1905, he also was instructor in the University of Wisconsin's short course for Swiss makers.

He became connected with the Southern Wisconsin Cheesemakers and Dairymen's Association and in 1903 began submitting regular reports of his inspection activities for the association to the State Dairy and Food Commission, headed by J. Q. Emery.

In 1905, Mr. Marty started regular dairy inspection service for the commission, concentrating on Swiss and other cheese factories.  He is believed to have pioneered this inspection work.

Mr. Marty resigned from the state service in 1912 to join his brother Carl, who was operating a large cheese business in Chicago.  For a time, Fred Marty managed the firm's branch in Argyle.  In 1915, he was recalled to service as a state dairy inspector and continued that work until 1919 when he returned to private business.

Became Supervising Grader

Mr. Marty resumed his work for the state, this time for the Department of Agriculture, in 1931 and two years later was named as supervising grader of Swiss cheese.

Eight years later, Mr. Marty resigned from state service, stating he did not wish to cause the department any embarrassment because he was grading cheese produced by the firm which his nephews, Carl O. and Robert F. Marty, operated.

Since that time, he had been in retirement.  He was active in all Cheese Day programs, especially the one in 1950 when he was in charge of rounding up the oldtime cheesemakers.  He also supervised purchases of cheese for the 1950 Cheese Day program and aided in other details.

Urged Quality Control

Throughout his life, Mr. Marty had been devoted to the cause of insuring that domestic Swiss cheese met the flavor and quality standards of the parent Emmenthaler type.

Mr. Marty was married June 6, 1905, to the former Elizabeth Stauffacher whose family also was prominent in the Swiss industry.  Last year, on the occasion of their 48th anniversary, the Martys were honored at a reunion of relatives and friends.

In addition to his widow and brother, Carl, Mr. Marty leaves another brother, Gottlieb, Madison, and four sisters, Mrs. John Dietrich, Sister Bay, Wis.; Miss Frieda Marty, Tacoma, Wash.; Mrs. E. B. Rosa, Monroe, and Mrs. Walter Schmidt, Kankakee, Ill.

He was preceded in death by his brother Jacob; a brother Ernest, drowned at the age of 8 in Switzerland; another brother named Ernest who died at the age of 14 after the family came to Green County, and two sisters, Mrs. Jacob Gempeler and Mrs. Otto Gfeller.  The latter had come to this country from Romania in 1910 after the death of her husband.

Services will be held Monday at 1:30 p.m. in the Shriner-Neushwander funeral home.  Rev. Paul C. Kehle of St. John's church will officiate and burial will be at Greenwood.