West Bend, WI – If you grew up in West Bend, you’ve probably driven past the corner of South Main and Walnut without realizing it was once the hottest stop in town—especially if your gas tank was running low or your Buick needed a tune-up.
The Schloemer Service Station, later known as Jerry’s Super Service, opened its garage doors in the 1930s.
A circa 1935 photo from the Washington County Historical Society (WCHS) shows the tidy Texaco station sitting proudly on that southwest corner. Its operator was Gerald “Jerry” Schloemer; dressed in his service-station cap, he greeted most drivers by name.
Longtime resident Richard Klumb could still point out the landmarks in that old photo:
“To the far left was the Kirsch Harness Store owned for many years by Joel Kirsch’s father, and you can see the old courthouse—now home to the WCHS—in the background.”
Other buildings framed the station’s daily bustle. Behind it stood a small white church built in 1921, once the Christian Science Church on Fifth Avenue. Today it’s Blondie Pop (formerly Pillars Pub), but to generations of locals the little church and the Old County Courthouse were part of the downtown skyline.
Plenty of memories still circulate about the Schloemer station. Roger Strack of Kewaskum remembered filling up his first car. “It was a 1935 four-door Buick I bought from Mr. Schloemer himself for $10. That was in 1947!”
Strack also recalled a dramatic moment. “One summer the station had a big explosion in the basement. It sure got everyone’s attention,” he said.
For some families, Jerry’s Super Service was the only place they trusted. Jerry Mehring said, “That’s where my dad had all the service work done and where he gassed up his trucks.”
Across the street at the time was Mehring’s Fish Market, and the smell of fresh-caught fish often mingled with the aroma of motor oil and gasoline.
Over the years, other names appeared on the door. Judy Wolf of Fox Lake remembers that by the 1950s Art Roecker ran the corner station—he was married to her dad’s cousin.
Eventually, the old Texaco pumps disappeared, the lot was cleared, and the corner became home to West Bend Savings Bank, known today as Westbury Bank.
Look closely at that vintage photograph and you’ll see more than a gas station—you’ll catch a glimpse of West Bend’s hardworking downtown in the age when a fill-up meant friendly conversation, a windshield cleaning, and maybe even a deal on a used Buick.
This story on Schloemer Service Station was originally published in September 2015.
I remember vividly hanging out as a kid at JSS. Those guys wouldn’t mind kids wanting to learn.