West Bend, Wi – The community of West Bend, Wi, lost a great historian in Darold Hoelz. He died March 3, 2026 at the age of 99. Hoelz loved planes. Below is an article about when Hoelz enlisted in the service and some of his recollections on when planes landed in a field at Chestnut Drive and Silverbrook.
Darold Hoelz of West Bend went into the Navy when he was 17; he got out when he was about 21. “It was July 1946 and in fall I was right back in school ….”
Hoelz said what he really wanted to do was fly planes.
“I had been on an aircraft carrier, I built model planes and my first flights with Jimmy Geib were in 1943,” he said. “In 1946 I started paying for my own time and in ’46 it was $6 an hour to rent an airplane. I got to learn from really good people.”
Hoelz said he wasn’t at the airport dedication but he did have an interesting observation about the kids in the photo. “When I was a kid, when you would get a suit you would get a pair of pants and you would get a pair of knickers and the kids running around in the one photo all have knickers on,” he said.
Hoelz said he recognizes the tree line in the background. “Those were the trees down by the river,” he said. “When I was working there were no paved runways, it was all grass. There were three runways and another going east and west.
“Nobody knows but at one time there was supposed to be a resort down by the river,” he said. “If you go down to the river there used to be a road down there along with a whole row of lilacs … but there are steps going down to the river.”
Hoelz said there were concrete steps on the north side. The resort never came to fruition.
There was a second airport in West Bend. “It was at Chestnut and Silverbrook,” said Hoelz. The photo below, courtesy Terry Becker, Aerial Blight Control – 12th and Chestnut, 1950.
“That field is where the dental offices are,” said Hoelz. “They took off and landed where Silverbook is.”
Cliff Ducharme built airplanes from scratch.
Darold M. Hoelz of West Bend died on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at Kathy Hospice at the age of 99 years. He was born June 20, 1926 at home in Rockfield to the late Martin and Mae (nee Kurschner) Hoelz.
He attended the one room school house in Rockfield, and went on to graduate with the Class of 1944 from West Bend High School.
On November 29, 1947, he was united in marriage to Margaret Varnes at Holy Angels Catholic Church. Margaret predeceased April 27, 2011.
On June 6, 1944 (D-Day), he enlisted in the United States Navy. Following his service during World War II, he went on to serve with the Wisconsin Army National Guard with mobilization in the United States Army during the Berlin crisis. In the Guard and Army, he was an Aircraft Maintenance Officer and a rated Master Army Aviator. An award in given out annually in his name to an outstanding enlisted person in an Aviation Unit in the Wisconsin ARNG.
He was a member of the S/Sgt Henry F. Gumm Post #486 American Legion in Jackson and Our Savior’s United Church of Christ in Germantown.
Survivors include 2 daughters Marylu (Robert) Heldt and Barbara Haubrich; 5 grandchildren Ryan Heldt, Michael (Aleena) Heldt, Steven (Paige) Haubrich, Amy (Marc) Vandiepenbeeck and Lisa Haubrich; 8 great-grandchildren: Amelia and Madilyn Heldt, Hailey Remich (fiancé Jack), Brailynn Haubrich, Bradley Frank, Saylor Haubrich, Eleanor Vandiepenbeeck, Margot Vandiepenbeeck and Kaylani Haubrich; sister-in-law Valerie Hoelz; other relatives and friends.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son-in-law Brad Haubrich and 1 brother Jerome.
A gathering for family and friends will be held on Sunday, March 22 from 1 until 2:45 p.m. at the Schmidt Funeral Home in West Bend with a memorial service at 3 p.m. Military honors will follow, performed by the S/Sgt. Henry F. Gumm Post #486 American Legion.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to Our Savior’s United Church of Christ or the charity of the donor’s choice appreciated.
Messages for the family may be left in an online guestbook at www.schmidtfuneralhome.com.
West Bend, WI – On May 25, 1930, the West Bend Municipal Airport was dedicated. Located east of the City on Highway 33, land for the airport was purchased by B.C. Ziegler, Dr. William Urkart, and Frank Groom. Courtesy the West Bend American Legion.
Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to
FREE local news at
Washington County Insider on YouTube Â
The 96 acres were then leased back to the federal government, which maintained the airport. Lt. Ray Dickop Post 36 was responsible for organizing the event.
According to an article “the field is well drained and has a beacon light and boundary lights and obstruction lights.”
Darold Hoelz, of West Bend went into the Navy when he was 17; he got out when he was about 21. “It was July 1946 and in fall I was right back in school ….”
Hoelz said what he really wanted to do was fly planes.
“I had been on an aircraft carrier, I built model planes and my first flights with Jimmy Geib were in 1943,” he said. “In 1946 I started paying for my own time and in ’46 it was $6 an hour to rent an airplane. I got to learn from really good people.”
Hoelz said he wasn’t at the airport dedication but he did have an interesting observation about the kids in the photo. “When I was a kid, when you would get a suit you would get a pair of pants and you would get a pair of knickers and the kids running around in the one photo all have knickers on,” he said.
Hoelz said he recognizes the tree line in the background. “Those were the trees down by the river,” he said. “When I was working there were no paved runways, it was all grass. There were three runways and another going east and west.
“Nobody knows but at one time there was supposed to be a resort down by the river,” he said. “If you go down to the river there used to be a road down there along with a whole row of lilacs … but there are steps going down to the river.”
Hoelz said there were concrete steps on the north side. The resort never came to fruition.
There was a second airport in West Bend. “It was at Chestnut and Silverbrook,” said Hoelz. The photo below, courtesy Terry Becker, Aerial Blight Control – 12th and Chestnut, 1950.
“That field is where the dental offices are,” said Hoelz. “They took off and landed where Silverbook is.”
Cliff Ducharme built airplanes from scratch.
