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CONSUMER REPRESENTATIVES FOR
INTERSTATE POWER COMPANY 1978 - 1992
For many years, in addition to
providing electricity for their customers, Interstate Power Company
was in the appliance business. Customers could purchase Westinghouse
washers, dryers, electrical stoves, etc. in any of the towns in the
district that had an Interstate Power Company office. Interstate
employed women who were the consumer representatives. When a
customer purchased an appliance, the appliance was delivered to the
home, and the consumer rep would visit the lady or the bachelor of
the house to explain how to use the appliance for maximum operating
efficiency. The consumer representative was also available at no
charge to local clubs, women's groups, school classes, 4-H groups,
other youth organizations, and special events who were in need of
guest speakers. It was a courtesy provided by Interstate Power
Company for the community. The representative would provide a
program on various topics on the use and application of energy in
the home and business, demonstrating the latest technologies such as
the time when the microwave was first new, self-cleaning ovens,
frost free refrigerators, etc. Other programs included demostrations
in food preparations using some of the smaller appliances such as
the crock pot, an electric fondue, deep fat fryer, omelet making,
Chinese wok, etc. From 1975 to 1992, as a thank you gift to
customers at Christmas time, Interstate Power Company printed
Holiday Recipe booklets of about 25 pages that featured recipes in
the categories of beverages, breads, cookies, cakes, entrees,
salads, etc. Each year many customers looked forward to these tasty
recipes to share with their family and friends not only for the
holidays but throughout the year.
Interstate Power Company discontinued
selling the appliances in the mid-1970's because of a changing
consumer market. Many people were no longer buying locally in their
small towns and were buying more merchandise, including name brand
appliances, in the shopping malls that were found in the larger
cities of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Rochester, Minnesota, Waterloo, Cedar
Rapids, and Dubuque, Iowa. Interstate continued to employ consumer
representatives but as the districts were merged with other
districts, the number of consumer representatives decreased. By the
mid 1990's consumer representatives were no longer needed as they
had been in the past.
CONSUMER REPRESENTATIVES LISTED BY
DISTRICT FOR THE YEARS 1978 1992
Source: The Holiday Recipe booklets
for those years
Contributor: Connie Ellis
Albert Lea, Minnesota District:
Jean Meierbachtol 1978, 1979, 1980,
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
*1986 1992 the name of a consumer
representative was no longer listed
Central District: (Clayton and
Fayette Counties, Iowa)
Fran Hoopman 1978
Jane Easton 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982
* The office was closed and part of
the district was with the Oelwein, Iowa office and the other
portion was with the Decorah, Office.
Chatfield, Minnesota District:
Shirley Glende 1978
Sue Trulson 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
Dara Hicks 1984
Kathy Halvorson 1985
*1986 was the last year Chatfield was
listed as a district
Clinton, Iowa and Illinois
Districts:
Milly Stahl 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981,
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
*1986 -1992 the name of a consumer
representative was no longer listed
Decorah, Iowa District:
(Winneshiek, Allamakee, and small portion of Howard County)
Opal
R. Schrock - in the 1970's and retired in 1977
Beverly Schrandt 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
*1986 1992 the name of a consumer representative was no longer
listed
Dubuque, Iowa District:
Marge Nauman 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
*From 1986 1992 the name of a
consumer representative was no longer listed
Mason City, Iowa District:
Ellen Lincicum 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
*From 1986 1992 the name of a consumer representative was no
longer listed
Northwest District Fulda,
Minnesota:
Jean
Collis 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
*From
1986 1991 the name of a consumer representative was no longer
listed
1991 was the last year it was listed
as a district
Oelwein, Iowa District: (Fayette
County, Bremer County)
Dorleen Witt 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
*From 1986 1992 the name of a
consumer representative was no longer listed
Winnebago, Minnesota District:
Jan
Hodges - 1978
Kristi Wiest 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982,
1983, 1984
*From 1985 1992 the name of a
consumer representative was no longer listed |
Dubuque
County IAGenWeb