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NEW ULM — Seventy-five years ago, members of the newly formed New Ulm Volunteer Fire Department invited the community to a barbecue to help pay for a fire station that was still under construction.
An estimated 1,500 people showed up.
Three-quarters of a century later, the department is still serving the community — and the community is still showing up for its firefighters.
The New Ulm Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its 75th anniversary Sunday, Sept. 20, marking a milestone built on generations of volunteer service, community support and a tradition of neighbors helping neighbors.
In a social media post following the anniversary celebration, the department thanked the community for its continued support.
“Without you all we would not be able to serve and protect our families and friends,” the department wrote. The department also noted the continued support it receives from volunteers, family members and friends.
Like many volunteer fire departments, New Ulm VFD relies heavily on fundraising to purchase equipment, maintain operations and provide training for its members. Proceeds from its annual barbecue and auction, pork steak dinners and drawings help cover those expenses.
That tradition of community- supported service stretches back to the department’s earliest days.
A tradition begins
The Sept. 27, 1951, edition of the New Ulm Enterprise announced plans for the department to hold a barbecue Oct. 14 on the local school campus.
The menu included beef, pork and mutton along with potato salad, beans, pickles, sauce and bread. Proceeds were to help finance the fire station then under construction, purchase additional equipment, and cover operating expenses.
When the Enterprise reported on the event a few weeks later, an estimated 1,500 people had attended.
“A perfect Sunday — ideal weather and an estimated attendance of 1,500 people pleased the members of the New Ulm Volunteer Fire Department so much Sunday that the fete may be held annually from now on,” the newspaper reported.
Organizers served 1,812 pounds of meat, while Hilton’s Happy Six and Milton Wavra’s Orchestra provided entertainment.
The celebration raised approximately $1,600.
“The proceeds from the celebration together with almost $4,000 in donations leaves the firemen in the red by only a few hundred dollars,” the Enterprise reported.
The gathering did, indeed, become an annual tradition.
By September 1956, The Colorado County Citizen was advertising the sixth annual New Ulm VFD barbecue, still held on the school campus. Meal tickets were $1 for adults and 50 cents for children.
Twenty years after the department’s founding, the Sept. 17, 1970, edition of the New Ulm Enterprise reported preparations were underway for the department’s 20th anniversary celebration.
Generations of service
The department’s history can also be measured through generations of men and women who have given their time to protect their neighbors.
At that first barbecue in 1951, Ben J. Marek submitted an application to join the department. After he was unanimously accepted, the department’s active membership stood at 32.
Decades later, the department continued recognizing extraordinary longevity among its volunteers. In 2025, the New Ulm Enterprise reported Lew Ellyn Gross and Henry Forester were presented service pins recognizing 65 years with the department.
The department entered its 75th anniversary year carrying the loss of three longtime members who died last month — Jerome Chudej, Ben Darold Marek and Douglas Luedke.
Chudej joined New Ulm VFD in 1976 and served as fire chief and in other positions during his 50 years with the department. He was also known for the barbecue sauce featured annually at the New Ulm Fireman’s Feast.
That tradition will continue through his family, with his sons, sons-in-law and grandsons carrying on the recipe and providing the sauce.
Marek also served the department through several offices and committee roles.
Luedke joined New Ulm VFD in 1991. Over the years, he served as chief, assistant chief and second vice president and was serving as vice president at the time of his death.
For Luedke, family and friends said the fire department was more than an organization to which he belonged. Serving and helping others was a way of life.
Building for the future
As New Ulm and the surrounding area changed, the fire department continued to grow with it.
The Sept. 23, 1982, edition of the New Ulm Enterprise featured a new fire station on its front page.
In 2017, New Ulm VFD began construction on another new fire station, which includes a helipad.
The department continued expanding its equipment in 2024, using money raised through its fundraising events to purchase a 3,000-gallon tanker.
Located near both the Austin and Colorado county lines, New Ulm VFD has long provided assistance, knowledge and emergency service benefiting communities in both counties.
Perhaps the department’s relationship with the community was best captured in that newspaper account following its first barbecue 75 years ago.
“The firemen are also mindful of the wonderful cooperation received from the ladies and men who gave their time in planning and preparing for the celebrations, and for the splendid help they gave Sunday,” the New Ulm Enterprise wrote in 1951.
Seventy-five years later, the names, equipment, and fire stations have changed.
The sentiment has not.
