My father was Don "Red" Roskopf.      We lived in the Town of Lisbon where the house was built for my family in the 1960's before I was born in 1971.     I am now living in the area again just a few blocks from that house which is still on Wooded Hills Drive.    

Red grew up in Hubertus on a farm on the south side of Hubertus Road now posted as the historical Hennes Homestead as my grandfather bought that from the Hennes family.

Red's first job was at Waldschmidt's Town & Country Mart on Appleton Avenue in Menomonee Falls.    Through the Purina part of that business, Red recieved a memorable training about "Standing Tall" that inspired him greatly into his career.    He took on an interest to do more along the lines of engines and took on classes to understand engines better.    This led him to move on to a job with A.O. Smith.     Red quickly acquired an interest to go into business for himself and opened up Red's Lawn and Garden City on Main Street in Sussex in the 60's .        He moved to Waukesha Avenue for a larger facility that he kept open until 1973 whereby Dave Schroeder of Schroeder Implement bought up a lot of the remaining inventory.   

Red went into greenskeeping from there with North Hills and then Hartford Country Club.     This gave him an opportunity with Wisconsin Turf Equipment Corp. whereby he eventually become Branch Manager in New Berlin.    In 1983, Camelot Country Club did not keep up with payments on equipment purchased and when he checked out the situation he found out the course was in receivership with Valley Bank at the time in Lomira.      Red put in a meager bid surprised to get a call that December that he was the new owner by the bidding process.       He took our family to the Globetrotters game following that to make it a big event for our family in his announcing it to us kids what had just happened for all of us that last month.   

Red owned Camelot from 1983 to 1997 when he sold it to a partnership between the Merkel and Essig families.     Greg Essig still with Western Lakes sold his interest in it to the Merkel families for them to own it outright for the 1998 season.      Merkels have been enjoying ownership of Camelot for 15 years having branded it as the Golf Club at Camelot.

We are holding a fall memorial outing event at Camelot on a Sunday Sept, 30th.    We will have a luncheon program with perhaps live music entertainment to follow.      Golfers will be encouraged to get their rounds in that morning.     Golf nor the luncheon are requirements to attend the open community social event.    No purchases necessary to attend and no entry fee of any kind.    The Packers play at 3:15 that day against the New Orleans Saints.

Red had a notable time of volunteerism with Lions Clubs International and the Knights of Columbus.     He was in the Sussex Lions, then the Lannon Lions, and then the Richfield Lions.    The Richfield Lions are hosting their 42nd Annual Chicken Roast on Oct. 21st at the Richfield Chalet.    We hope to help them reach a historically record attendence this year.

Red served on the Parade Committee in Menomonee Falls through his involvement with KC's

By the end of June, there will be a couple of trees planted on the Washington County Fairpark grounds with one of them in the honor of Red out of his work with the Fairpark during his time as Washington County Supervisor.      He also served on the Southeastern Area Agency on Aging as Executive Director even going to a national committee session in Washington DC.

He also found time to serve with activities at Holy Hill even running a golf outing to raise money for there.

We hope to reach all that have been a part of making Red's life of triumphant accomplishments possible and all who have been touched by the life of Don "Red" Roskopf.

The fall event is intended to be a reunion of sorts for all those from Red's professional and personal undertakings and roles.    We will be having a Wooded Hills, Riversbend, and Meadow Creek Crossing grouping.     Past District Governors Reunion for the Lions as well as for all Lions that had known Lion Red.    It will encompass a Roskopf Reunion.        We are also reuniting all past employees of Red's particularily past employees of Camelot Country Club.     Past teachers, administrators, and staff of Hamilton High and the district will hopeful connect to this as they had a lot of great gatherings at Camelot in the 80's.

Please help us spread the word on our intentions and initiative to rally around the legacy of Don "Red" Roskopf and share the information and contact details:

Kurt Roskopf

N79 W22125 Bramble Drive

Lisbon, Wisconsin 53089

262-720-7031

roskopfs@gmail.com

I am hoping to hear from a thousand people out there that will connect to this historical event.    Even if folks can't make it on the day we end up choosing, we hope to represent the thoughts of people for this year on what they remember most about Red.