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After meeting and marrying his life long love and partner, Alice Brinkman Stayer in 1938, RF moved his family to a small town in Wisconsin. RF and Alice lived a simple life filled with hope and a strong entrepreneurial attitude. Saving every penny RF made while working at Plankington Packing Company, Alice and RF were able to purchase a small meat market in Johnsonville, Wis. in 1945 with $1,500 left for capital.
"He trained me well. I'm the same way — if it isn't the best thing I've ever eaten, I don't want it." Those experiences later led Ralph and Alice Stayer to become philanthropists, taking special interest in causes that benefit children and education. And Alice B. Stayer Center in Sheboygan is named for them, as is Stayer Park in Plymouth. He got all the way through school, despite the Great Depression, but one month before he would have graduated from high school he got an opportunity to work in President Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps and dropped out of school. Stayer is survived by his wife of 69 years, Alice; his two children, Ralph C. Stayer and Launa Stayer-Maloney, and a number of grandchildren. She started her career in public radio as an intern for the Miami-based NPR station, WLRN.
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Ralph is the Chairman and CEO of Johnsonville Sausage LLC, America's largest sausage producer. Once the details were in place, it was time to design the invitation suite. Before they could take over, the owner got a better offer and refunded the Stayers' money, which is when they pursued the perfect bratwurst in Johnsonville. In fact, RC and Launa were not the only ones to see the emphasis RF placed on taste. He was meticulous about the sausage made at Johnsonville. "What we saw in recent years is that families living in Immokalee were the least likely to come into Naples to be sheltered at our domestic violence center," Oberhaus said.
The life is that of Ralph F. Stayer, the founder of Johnsonville Sausage. His life grew through a solid faith in the American dream and today we remember an accomplished man, father and fellow citizen, who as of June 24, 2007 has passed beyond the confines of the flesh and has moved into our hearts and memories. Clustrmaps.com needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding. I’d go four-wheeling, snowmobiling, or jet skiing and cancel every ladies’ luncheon.
Alice Lucille Brinkman Stayer
The strong work ethic and commitment to family that showed itself at such a young age in RF would drive him to make one of the best business decisions of the 20th century. After Stayer had his eureka moment, he worked for months to create the perfect bratwurst recipe. He knew he had found it when a loyal customer, who had always bought 30 pounds of hamburger and 5 pounds of brats for his events, switched to 30 pounds of bratwurst and 5 pounds of hamburger.
“Obviously, my mom is very important to me, and I wanted her to be a significant part of the ceremony,” Brooke says. “She’s been through everything with Tucker and me since we were teenagers. I remember her playing volleyball in the foyer with us, not worrying about the chandeliers. She didn’t want to take away anything from my dress, so we were thinking that since the dad usually wears a tux to walk the bride down the aisle, why not her? Ralph C. Stayer said his father's quest for perfection confounded him when the younger Stayer joined the business in the 1970s. Food, clothing and personal hygiene products are provided for those who seek refuge at the shelter, free of cost and Oberhaus said the shelter will offer services in Spanish and Creole.
Mary Sadler Stayer
An active member of Johnsonville until the day he passed, RF is responsible for creating many of the recipes still used by Johnsonville Sausage today, but RF's passions extended beyond sausage. Being a provider from an early age, that instinct carried through in the way he took care of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. A father of two, Ralph C and Launa, his family grew to include twenty-seven direct descendants.
He also didn't tell many people that he almost didn't get into the meat industry at all. Even after his son took over the reins of the business, the elder Stayer stayed involved in the workings of Johnsonville. "He drilled it in pretty good because I certainly make other people crazy these days," Ralph C. Stayer said.
RF insisted on spending his free time fishing with the grandchildren, hunting with his son, or golfing with his wife and daughter. At the age of 70, he became the club golf champion at the Naples Country Club in Naples, Fla.; an accomplished golfer with four holes-in-one to his name. He traveled around the world as an avid outdoorsman in search of beautiful game and like all other fisherman RF had many a great "fish tale" to tell. Based on the overwhelming response to their brats, Ralph and Alice decided to turn their neighborhood butcher shop into a sausage company. As the years passed, Johnsonville began to move toward the company we know today.
Launa Stayer-Maloney, RF's daughter and owner of Johnsonville Sausage, tells a story of how a loyal customer's behavior changed after RF created his brat. From a single butcher shop to an international sausage provider, Stayer oversaw the company his parents started from their town of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. The definition of success, RF Stayer proved that the American dream is real and not just a story told to encourage enterprise. His keen eye for opportunity, paired with a strong work ethic and dedication to his craft, grew RF from a poor boy to an accomplished man. A man not only defined by his accomplishments, but also by those he loved and those he helped.
RF was passionate about the quality of the food he ate and made. Celebrating the good life in Southwest Florida, Naples Illustrated entertains its affluent audience with editorial that exemplifies the region’s luxurious yet understated elegance. Areas of coverage include trend-setting fashion, notable personalities, luxury homes, social and philanthropic events, culture and the arts, and international travel. Shortly after he and a partner bought a small butcher shop in Johnsonville in 1945, Stayer noticed that guests at area fundraisers were throwing away their bratwurst half-eaten. "For victims of domestic violence living in the Immokalee community and then we’ll have a specialized wing for victims of human trafficking who could come from anywhere in Collier County," Oberhaus said. Is known for generously supporting numerous local causes; when seated at a charitable event, her auction paddle is always poised to rise.
Andrea graduated from Florida International University, where she was a contributing writer for the student-run newspaper, The Panther Press, and was also a member of the university's Society of Professional Journalists chapter. It’s cool, hip, and the “it” place to be day and night. Stayer said his proudest moment as CEO is linked to his company’s success. After his April 1 retirement, Stayer and his wife Shelly plan to stay in Naples, where they own a one-of-its-kind Johnsonville Sausage Marketplace that opened last fall on Naples Boulevard in North Naples. You get to a point where it’s time to let the next generation go in,” Stayer said in an interview from his home Saturday.
The 8-year Naples resident is co-owner of Johnsonville Sausage with husband Ralph Stayer, whose father started the now global company. Needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding. Ralph F. Stayer died in Naples in 2007 at age 92, and his life was celebrated by 700 friends and family members and a visit from the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill, a 65-foot truck that can cook 750 bratwursts at once. Today, Johnsonville produces more than 40 different varieties of sausage and is the nation’s top-selling brand of brats, Italian sausage, smoked-cooked links and fresh breakfast sausage links.
Stayer recently donated $3 million to the Shelter for Abused Women and Children for a shelter in Immokalee to help human trafficking victims. She is also chair of American Cancer Society’s Bucket List Bash this month, featuring an appearance by Andrea Bocelli. The wedding weekend opened with a “Welcome to Paradise! ” party at Ritz beach—think steel drums, exotic birds, sand sculptures, and fireworks—and then guests were given VIP passes like you’d wear to go backstage at a rock concert.
Naples resident Ralph Stayer, is planning to retire from the helm of Johnsonville Sausage on April 1.
The company also produces meatballs, sausage slices and pork patties. Stayer and his wife bought the 50-year-old butcher shop not because they wanted to get into the meat business, but because they wanted a piece of the American dream, Ralph C. Stayer said. A life based on hard work, hope and the promise of a brighter tomorrow.
