Tradition Continues Following Retirement

Dave Pabst, Town of Turtle Lake road patrolman, celebrated his retirement after 25 years of service taking care of the roadways for the township at a party held Saturday,  January 29 at the Turtle Lake Township Town Hall.

While one career has ended, another will continue following the retirement of long-time Town of Turtle Lake patrolman, Dave Pabst.

Pabst has been a common figure throughout the township as he took great pride in the maintenance of the township roads all year long. He has also been instrumental in acquiring grant funding for various projects throughout the township.

It all began in 1996 when he was hired on a part-time basis, acquiring full-time status in 1998. And while his term of employment has ended, interestingly enough, the family tradition continues.

Pabst’s grandfather, Clarence Pabst, who spent 44 years working for Barron County, went to work for the Town of Turtle Lake in 1966, at the age of 62. He jumped into the road grader and maintained the township roads for the next 10 years.

Following the retirement of Clarence, it became “Boots” LaBlanc’s turn to roam the roads in the grader. Boots was married to Clarence’s daughter Clare.

Boots spent the next 40 years, 1958 to 1998, maintaining the township roads until his untimely death while at work.

It only seems appropriate that the new township patrolman has roots back to the beginning. Enter Dusty Ranallo, the grandson of Boots LaBlanc and the fourth generation of family to assume the position high in the grader. Dusty became a township employee in June 2021. If the past is any indication of things to come, Dusty will follow in the family footsteps and become a longtime figure keeping the township roads plowed in the winter and in good working conditon throughout the summer.