June 18, 2017 – West Bend, WI – Tommy Schwai spent Saturday afternoon celebrating his 60th birthday with about 100 of his closest friends and family.
“It’s just another day,” said Schwai while welcoming handshakes and hugs.
Nobody left Tommy’s party hungry as there were plenty of homemade brats, fabulous salads and heavenly desserts. Tommy’s favorite was the pineapple upside down cake. “We’re not going to blow out the candles because they’re sitting on the counter at home,” said Tommy’s wife Kathy.
My first “real” job was working with Tom and his wife Kathey catering from the tavern back at the old Cedar Creek location. My first day I was 15 and we were getting ready for a wedding at the Jackson Town Hall. Every thing was chaotic and we were loading the truck with supplies. I was scared but felt like I was part of one big crazy family- after working 14 hr. days, chopping up fruit for 8hrs. a day, staying late into the night doing Germanfest dishes, eating scrumptious brats, pasta salad, apple squares and endless fish fries, going to fancy parties at the Yacht Club, fundraisers for the Humane Society, pig roasts, and working the brat stand at the Washington County Fair, so I stayed for 7 glorious years. Nothing can replace the memories and lessons I have learned from the Schwai’s and I wish a very Happy 60th Birthday to Tom and many more to come!
Great to see Tommy so happy. He is part of a grand family. I remember being at the tavern when he became a bartender. I believe he was the first in the State under age eighteen.