WCCU Celebrates 75 years

Eddie Saugstad and son leaving the REA
office that included office space for the
new Westby Cooperative Credit Union

On August 23, the Westby Cooperative Credit Union (WCCU) marked their 75th Anniversary.

WCCU has experienced many changes during the past 75 years in business. They were organized in 1939 by a group Vernon County farmers, H.O. Melby, Orville Lunde, Aloius P. Thelen, Carl Freitag, Mandel Olson, N.F. Leifer and H. S. Halvorson.

The first WCCU organizational meeting was held at the Westby Opera Hall and its articles of incorporation were signed on Aug. 14, 1939. Richard Grimsrud was elected the first board of director president and WCCU’s first ever monthly meeting was held on Sept. 29, 1939, at REA, later named Vernon Electric.

The Fashion Cellar moved into the former

WCCU building that was at one time

the Dr. Bland Clinic and today is the

entrance to the Vernon Telephone Company.

The first WCCU branch operated out of a rented space at REA, now part of Organic Valley, offices at 100 West State Street in downtown Westby. As membership grew they purchased the former Bland Clinic at 110 North Main Street, located north of Vernon Telephone Cooperative. A few year later, WCCU constructed a new building in downtown Westby on the corner of Main and Melby streets, where Westby City Hall is currently located.

In 1965, Larry Anderson was named the WCCU president and the new building was built in 1976, which provided extended service with a drive-up and a parking lot. In 1992, WCCU purchased a piece of property in the Westby Industrial Park on the north end of the city and constructed its current facility. Anderson passed away in 2003 after spending 38 years as president and Kevin Hauser was hired to replace him. WCCU expanded its Westby building in 2006, doubling its size and added an atrium.

WCCU built in 1976, now Westby City Hall

Today, WCCU operates eight branch offices in Westby, Viroqua, Cashton, Reedsburg, Lake Delton, Baraboo and two offices in Richland Center. They have $379 million in assets and continual growing pains, as shown by the recent purchase of a building in Coon Valley. The financial organization currently employs approximately 150 people and serves more than 27,000 members. The Westby office serves as the operation center and provides support to all of the branch offices. October 2014, Coon Valley was added as the ninth branch office.

The current WCCU Board of Directors includes, Bob Dickman (Chairperson), Ron Larson, Bob Devine, Marilyn Hauge, Bruce Stefferud, Monte Torgerson and Alan Berg.

Current Westby Cooperative Credit Union located on North Main Street