Give Back Bash celebrates 110 years of Witt’s Market

CRIVITZ – For decades, the Witt family businesses like Witt’s Market, operating now as Piggly Wiggly, have been a mainstay of the Crivitz community. Although the stores have changed names and locations, the Witt’s dedication to serving generations of patrons has remained the same for 110 years.

Vice President of Witt’s Food, Inc. Rebecca Zillges spoke on the history of the family grocery store business, which started with Lillian and Patsy in 1915 with a meat market on the Main Street of Crivitz. The business was then passed down to Zillges’ grandfather, Ernie, before her father Nicholas and uncle Jack became third-generation owners in the early 1990s.

Major changes came to the family store, which had been doing business as Piggly Wiggly for some time, when Jack retired and Nicholas became the sole owner.

Zillges, who had moved back to the area from Milwaukee with her husband and children, began working alongside her father at Piggly Wiggly.

“I started working more one-on-one with him, just trying to know what he did everyday,” Zillges explained.

Unfortunately, her father passed away about a year after being diagnosed with Glioblastoma cancer.

“We just weren’t expecting that,” she said.

Today, Zillges and her family are carrying on the family business built by Nicholas and the generations before.

With business ownership split equally between Zillges, her mother Sally and siblings Kari Kosir and Garett Whitt, each family member plays their own unique role. These duties don’t just include Witt’s Piggly Wiggly, but their two other businesses, Witt’s Ace Hardware and a Little Caesars Express inside the grocery store.

As the vice president of the business, Zillges has become a jack of all trades.

“I run the front end of the store with the General Manager Bob Wolf. Him and I pretty much do everything across the whole store. I make the schedules for cashiers, work with the service desk and do all of the bills,” she said.

Working in so many different positions has allowed her to interact with staff and community members, which is one of the things she is most looking forward to doing at their upcoming Give Back Bash.
The Give Back Bash will celebrate 110 of business for Witt’s Market with food, beverages, bounce houses and obstacle courses as well as a live concert from Star Six Nine.

Not only will this event give thanks to the community, but it also serves as a fundraising event. All of the proceeds raised, including through the sale of food and beverages, will benefit the installation of playground equipment at Crivitz Community Veterans Park.
“It’s a way to say ‘thank you for the support,’” Zillges explained.

She added that “actions are louder than words,” and that without the Crivitz community, and surrounding towns, they wouldn’t be where they are today.

Zillges also credited the employees of the businesses, “We couldn’t do it without our employees. We always seem to have a really good group. When you treat them like family they want to stick around, so that’s what we always try to do.”

The 110th anniversary Give Back Bash will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, at the Bob Berndt Theater, 515 Park Place, Crivitz.

For more information, visit Witt’s Piggly Wiggly Ace Hardware on Facebook. Witt’s Piggly Wiggly is located at 250 N U.S. Hwy 141.