Post Messenger Recorder -

On April 10, 1972, Ernie and Sharron Gempeler purchased a small grocery store in Monticello from John Streiff. The store was small, as it had only three aisles, one cash register, and a half dozen employees. The Gempeler family set about expanding the store in 1973. They purchased and remodeled the adjacent vacant building formerly occupied by Karl's (Duerst) Meat Market, which doubled the size of the grocery store.

From its beginning, Gempeler's Supermarket has been dedicated to family and community. Ernie served on Monticello Village Board for many years, and the family has been active in a number of local organizations. Sharron Gempeler commented in article in 2002 that their daughter, Connie, was behind the register at the age of 11 saying, "She ran the register while myself and Ernie, and our son Kenny would tend to other areas of the store. Our working together has kept us close as a family." Sharron was well known for her cakes and the family has a number of scrapbooks full of photos of the confections. Sadly, Sharron passed away in August 2020.

In 1986, Gempeler's grew again, this time tripling in size with the purchase and renovation of the remaining two buildings on the block: the Village Tap tavern and the vacant Krieg & Zurbuchen building. Over the years Gempeler's has made many improvements and advances, including the addition of a meat processing operation to produce their very own Alpine Boy line of bratwurst, bologna, summer sausage, wieners, Kalberwurst and Landjaegers – all made and smoked on-site.

The Alpine Boy line of sausage has won a number of awards over the years; in 2019, the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors (WAMP) awarded Gempeler's Supermarket Alpine Boy sausage distinctions in four categories. Gempeler's earned the Reserve Grand Champion award for their Precooked Wisconsin Style Bratwurst (precooked traditional bratwurst category), Precooked Veal Sausage (specialty ring sausage category), and Beef Strips (restructured jerky category). They also received the Honorable Mention award for their Precooked Hawaiian Bratwurst (precooked flavored bratwurst category). Six more Gempeler's Alpine Boy entries were ranked in the top ten in their respective product categories.

In 2021, in the Meat Product Competition held during the WAMP convention, Gempeler's Alpine Boy entries received awards in six product categories. In the fresh traditional bratwurst category, their Alpine Boy Wisconsin Style Bratwurst won Reserve Grand Champion. In the specialty ring sausage category, their Fully Cooked Kalberwurst (Veal Sausage) took Reserve Grand Champion, and their Fresh Kalberwurst received the Reserve Champion award in the fresh dinner sausage category. In the luncheon or jellied loaf category, their Old Fashioned Loaf won the Champion award. They received honorable mention in the fresh breakfast sausage category for their Fresh Pork Sausage Links, and in the fully cooked specialty bratwurst category for their Fully Cooked Beer and Onion Bratwurst. Gempeler's has entered products in the WAMP competition each of the past 12 years and has won two or more awards each year. (No competition was held in 2020 because of COVID restrictions.) The WAMP Meat Product Competition is the largest of its kind in the United States. This year, meat markets and processing plants located throughout the state entered over 500 individual products into 36 judging categories, including summer sausage, bratwurst, ham, bacon, smoked poultry, breakfast sausage, and others.

Photo courtesy of Connie Von Der Heide

The storefront in 1986 before the second expansion.

Gempeler's has also upgraded its scanning technology and automated inventory control; added Big Ern's Beer Cave (2009); and expanded and upgraded display cases in Frozen, Dairy and Deli (2011). More upgrades are planned.

Today the Gempeler family employs 20 people and offers shoppers a complete line of groceries and frozen foods, fresh produce, dairy, hot and cold deli, bakery, made to order pizza and sub sandwiches, and a full service fresh meat counter. What has never changed at Gempeler's is their commitment to offer quality products at a fair price, and their dedication to providing friendly, hometown service to each and every customer. Gempeler's is very proud to be a part of the Monticello community, and they would like to thank this and surrounding communities for all of their support over the last 50 years - and looking forward to more to come.