Thomas H. Lutsey

Thomas H. Lutsey, 86, 846 W. St. Francis Rd., De Pere, died Tuesday, February 1, 2000 in Sun City, Ariz. Tom was born August 18, 1913 in Richmond to the late Jay and Nellie (Hansen) Lutsey. On October 16, 1987, he married Lillian Hooper Haeuser.
Tom was a dairy farmer in the mid 1930's and operated milk routes for the family business, which was the Jersey Farm Dairy. He was a pioneer in the dairy industry and built machines that automated the ice cream novelty business and held patents for drumsticks, ice pops, snow cones, and ice cream cones. Tom created the 'paddle pop' which became the foundation of Gold Bond Ice Cream, now Good Humor Breyers. By 1946, Gold Bond, Tom and his partner, Sylvester Daanen, produced only ice cream and novelties.

     In 1948, with his brother Ken, and Ken's brother-in-law Ray Reimer, he purchased Schuchardt Cone Co. in Sheboygan, which later became Ace Baking Company in Green Bay. He was very active in the Boys and Girls Club of Green Bay and received an official commendation from the Wisconsin Senate for his efforts. Tom was a strong supporter of Fallen Timbers Environmental Center in Seymour and the Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay. The Thomas H. and Lillian Lutsey Scholarship at Bellin College of Nursing aids nursing students in the completion of their education. He served on the Bellin Hospital Board and also the Advisory Committee of Bellin School of Nursing. There is also a Thomas H. Lutsey Scholarship Fund, which encourages agricultural occupations, and has already supported forty students with four year scholarships.
    In 1993, he received a Wisconsin Governor's Award for his involvement in Family Violence Center (Golden House) in Green Bay, Richland Center, and Rhinelander. He has been involved with the Literacy Council. Tom's other interests included the Future Farmers of America, Community Service Center, Salvation Army, Rebekah Lodge and Mason Woods Retirement Community Shawano. Tom was active in the Washington Lodge #21, Free and Accepted Masons, Scottish Rite Bodies-Valley of Green Bay, a charter member of Beja Shrine Temple, Green Bay Shrine Club, and engineered the Shrine Supercycle Unit, a 24-man bicycle. Tom loved the Green Bay Packers, enjoyed playing golf, and tinkering with machines. An avid big game hunter, he holds Boone and Crickett records. He was a 60 year member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church.
    Survivors include his wife, Lillian; one son and daughter-in-law, Thomas J. and Sharon Lutsey of Green Bay; four grandsons, Matthew, Nicholas Jeffrey, and Andrew Lutsey, all of Green Bay; one brother and sister-in-law, Kenneth Koeller and Ceil Lutsey of Green Bay; one brother-in-law , James Koeller of Green Bay; one sister-in-law, Henrietta Prichard of Suamico; and one step-son, Everett 'Skip' Haeuser and wife, Linda, of Green Bay. He was also preceded in death by his former wives, Edith, Ann and Evelyn; by his two brothers, Robert and Jimmy; and two sisters, Ruth Koeller and Mae Lutsey.
    Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. Friday at Lyndahl Funeral Home, Lombardi Ave. at Ridge Rd.; Masonic Memorial Service at 7:30 p.m. Visitation continues on Saturday, after 9 a.m. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 341 Wilson Ave. Funeral Service at 10 a.m. with Rev. Ray Kotwicki officiating. Entombment in Ft. Howard Mausoleum.
    In lieu of flowers or other expressions of sympathy, the family requests donations may be made in Tom's name to the Green Bay Boys and Girls Club Endowment Fund or the Thomas H. Lutsey Scholarship Fund.

The Thomas H. Lutsey Scholarship

The scholarship was established in recognition of the late Green Bay businessman Thomas H. Lutsey, a strong believer in the idea that hard work and diligence are essential to success.

Mr. Lutsey worked hard on the family farm as a youngster. In 1933, he began processing milk on the farm for distribution in the city of Green Bay. The milk operation, called the Jersey Dairy, moved to Green Bay in 1938. Fascinated by a new idea, Mr. Lutsey decided to make ice cream and began selling it on the same routes with the milk. The idea evolved to slice quarts of ice cream into tenths, insert sticks, dip the squares into chocolate, and roll them in nuts. The item became popular at fairs in the Green Bay area where they were sold as “paddle pops.”

By 1946, Mr. Lutsey had established Gold Bond Ice Cream and the transition was made from bottling milk to producing only ice cream and novelties. The popularity of this product on a stick prompted him to ask the question of how to make it faster. Seeing other operations, Mr. Lutsey soon built what was then called a brine tank production line of ice cream bars and water ice pieces. The emphasis shifted from ice cream to novelties. Eventually, this antiquated machine was phased out and increased mechanization helped to spawn considerable growth for the company. Also, in 1946 a strong partnership was formed when Sylvester Daanen bought into the company. Mr. Daanen handled the office and sales area, while Mr. Lutsey was in charge of manufacturing and shipping. Mr. Daanen died in June of 1967.

In 1953, the Clarson Ice Cream Company, which was located in Richland Center, Wisconsin was purchased. In 1969, Gold Bond built a new facility on the west side of Green Bay. In 1973, a new plant, the third one, was built in Ocala, Florida. In 1977, the Richland Center plant expanded into a different building in the same town.

In 1980, 1983, and 1986 three more plants were constructed in Sikeston, Missouri; in Hagerstown, Maryland; and Henderson, Nevada, bringing the total to 6 ice cream novelty production plants. Today, Gold Bond novelties are available in over 40 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Canada.


	Thomas H. Lutsey

	Thomas H. Lutsey Thomas H. Lutsey, 86, 846 W. St. Francis Rd., De Pere, died Tuesday, February 1, 2000 in Sun City, Ariz. Tom was born August 18, 1913 in Richmond to the late Jay and Nellie (Hansen) Lutsey. On October 16, 1987, he married Lillian Hooper Haeuser. Tom was a dairy farmer in the mid 1930's and operated milk routes for the family business, which was the Jersey Farm Dairy. He was a pioneer in the dairy industry and built machines that automated the ice cream novelty business and held patents for drumsticks, ice pops, snow cones, and ice cream cones. Tom created the 'paddle pop' which became the foundation of Gold Bond Ice Cream, now Good Humor Breyers. By 1946, Gold Bond, Tom and his partner, Sylvester Daanen, produced only ice cream and novelties. In 1948, with his brother Ken, and Ken's brother-in-law Ray Reimer, he purchased Schuchardt Cone Co. in Sheboygan, which later became Ace Baking Company in Green Bay. He was very active in the Boys and Girls Club of Green Bay and received an official commendation from the Wisconsin Senate for his efforts. Tom was a strong supporter of Fallen Timbers Environmental Center in Seymour and the Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay. The Thomas H. and Lillian Lutsey Scholarship at Bellin College of Nursing aids nursing students in the completion of their education. He served on the Bellin Hospital Board and also the Advisory Committee of Bellin School of Nursing. There is also a Thomas H. Lutsey Scholarship Fund, which encourages agricultural occupations, and has already supported forty students with four year scholarships. In 1993, he received a Wisconsin Governor's Award for his involvement in Family Violence Center (Golden House) in Green Bay, Richland Center, and Rhinelander. He has been involved with the Literacy Council. Tom's other interests included the Future Farmers of America, Community Service Center, Salvation Army, Rebekah Lodge and Mason Woods Retirement Community Shawano. Tom was active in the Washington Lodge #21, Free and Accepted Masons, Scottish Rite Bodies-Valley of Green Bay, a charter member of Beja Shrine Temple, Green Bay Shrine Club, and engineered the Shrine Supercycle Unit, a 24-man bicycle. Tom loved the Green Bay Packers, enjoyed playing golf, and tinkering with machines. An avid big game hunter, he holds Boone and Crickett records. He was a 60 year member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Survivors include his wife, Lillian; one son and daughter-in-law, Thomas J. and Sharon Lutsey of Green Bay; four grandsons, Matthew, Nicholas Jeffrey, and Andrew Lutsey, all of Green Bay; one brother and sister-in-law, Kenneth Koeller and Ceil Lutsey of Green Bay; one brother-in-law , James Koeller of Green Bay; one sister-in-law, Henrietta Prichard of Suamico; and one step-son, Everett 'Skip' Haeuser and wife, Linda, of Green Bay. He was also preceded in death by his former wives, Edith, Ann and Evelyn; by his two brothers, Robert and Jimmy; and two sisters, Ruth Koeller and Mae Lutsey. Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. Friday at Lyndahl Funeral Home, Lombardi Ave. at Ridge Rd.; Masonic Memorial Service at 7:30 p.m. Visitation continues on Saturday, after 9 a.m. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 341 Wilson Ave. Funeral Service at 10 a.m. with Rev. Ray Kotwicki officiating. Entombment in Ft. Howard Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers or other expressions of sympathy, the family requests donations may be made in Tom's name to the Green Bay Boys and Girls Club Endowment Fund or the Thomas H. Lutsey Scholarship Fund. The Thomas H. Lutsey Scholarship The scholarship was established in recognition of the late Green Bay businessman Thomas H. Lutsey, a strong believer in the idea that hard work and diligence are essential to success. Mr. Lutsey worked hard on the family farm as a youngster. In 1933, he began processing milk on the farm for distribution in the city of Green Bay. The milk operation, called the Jersey Dairy, moved to Green Bay in 1938. Fascinated by a new idea, Mr. Lutsey decided to make ice cream and began selling it on the same routes with the milk. The idea evolved to slice quarts of ice cream into tenths, insert sticks, dip the squares into chocolate, and roll them in nuts. The item became popular at fairs in the Green Bay area where they were sold as “paddle pops.” By 1946, Mr. Lutsey had established Gold Bond Ice Cream and the transition was made from bottling milk to producing only ice cream and novelties. The popularity of this product on a stick prompted him to ask the question of how to make it faster. Seeing other operations, Mr. Lutsey soon built what was then called a brine tank production line of ice cream bars and water ice pieces. The emphasis shifted from ice cream to novelties. Eventually, this antiquated machine was phased out and increased mechanization helped to spawn considerable growth for the company. Also, in 1946 a strong partnership was formed when Sylvester Daanen bought into the company. Mr. Daanen handled the office and sales area, while Mr. Lutsey was in charge of manufacturing and shipping. Mr. Daanen died in June of 1967. In 1953, the Clarson Ice Cream Company, which was located in Richland Center, Wisconsin was purchased. In 1969, Gold Bond built a new facility on the west side of Green Bay. In 1973, a new plant, the third one, was built in Ocala, Florida. In 1977, the Richland Center plant expanded into a different building in the same town. In 1980, 1983, and 1986 three more plants were constructed in Sikeston, Missouri; in Hagerstown, Maryland; and Henderson, Nevada, bringing the total to 6 ice cream novelty production plants. Today, Gold Bond novelties are available in over 40 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Canada.