Generator_Spring 2023_Final

RETIREE PROFILE:
STAN
WIELGUS
Loup retiree Stan Wielgus (center) prepares
to set a pole with coworkers in 2016.
Stan Wielgus may have more free
time as a retiree. But he sure doesn’t
spend it sitting around.
In fact, he probably burns more
calories now, figuring in the onemile
swims, 3-mile walks, weight
lifting, and stretching he does on a
regular basis.
“When I retired, that was one
thing I told myself — that I was going
to keep myself healthy,” Wielgus
said. “So I make sure I do that.”
***
Wielgus has always been on the
move in more ways than one.
He joined the Navy right out of
high school, following in the footsteps
of his brother and father. As one
of 10 children, he also knew it was his
key to a better life.
“They were offering an education
and I took advantage of that,”
Wielgus said.
He spent four years seeing the
world — Australia, Japan, China,
Guam, Taiwan, and Hawaii — before
leaving active service. (He later
re-enlisted and spent 14 years in the
Navy Reserve.)
After leaving the Navy, Wielgus
headed to Platte College, followed by
a job at Cornhusker Public Power District.
He joined Loup Power District in
1980 and stayed for nearly 40 years,
working as a Journey Line Technician
and Crew Lead.
“It was definitely right
up my alley because I
like to be outside and I
like to be on the move.”
Wielgus also really enjoyed the
satisfaction of a job well done, like
putting in secondary underground
service
“The ground’s been untouched
and by the time you leave, you have it
trenched and the wire’s in and energized,”
he said.
On the flip side, Wielgus said he
sure doesn’t miss getting called out
to fix storm damage when it was cold
or rainy.
Wielgus knows he put in his hours
on those storm calls. He put in all his
years and now can enjoy retirement.
Looking back, he said all those
years went fast on the whole, but the
last three gearing up to retirement
seemed to take forever. And that’s
understandable since Wielgus had
been working ever since junior high.
Now he has the time to focus on
helping friends and family with
repairs or home improvement
projects. He has time to travel.
And he definitely has time to
exercise. Sometimes he does cardio.
Sometimes he lifts using the same
weight bench he’s had since he got
out of the Navy.
And he goes outside as often as he
can. Sometimes he’ll wander out to
take a look at the stars.
And then he realizes he better
attend to another promise he made
himself.
“I was going to get myself a
telescope, and I haven’t done it yet.”
Wielgus has four children,
five grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
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