Door County man, 84, cited by state for being an Ephraim firefighter for 65 years

EPHRAIM - Niles Weborg's life as a firefighter began 65 years ago when he began dating the fire chief's daughter.

It carried on after the death of his son in the line of duty caused him to postpone his retirement.

And it continues today, nine years after retiring from his 34-year tenure as fire chief, with the 84-year-old Weborg still going out on calls for the Ephraim Fire Department after 65 years.

That's why family, friends, Ephraim residents and firefighters from departments across Door County gathered Wednesday, July 31, at the Ephraim Fire Station – which likely wouldn't exist in its current form or location without him – to honor Weborg as he received a Legislative Citation from the state Legislature.

State Sen. Andre Jacque, Rep. Joel Kitchens and Ephraim Fire Chief Justin MacDonald presented Weborg with the citation and a plaque recognizing his 65 years of service with the same small-town, volunteer fire department. The citation noted the lifelong resident of northern Door County "is a committed public servant who exemplifies the dedication of a selfless first responder."

"I think it's a great honor," Weborg said to the Advocate after the ceremony. "Today, it's 25, 30 years, then they retire. I don't think you'll ever see 65 years again."

That 65 years of dedication was praised by Kitchens, Jacque and MacDonald, contrasting it to how people seem to change jobs and other major aspects of their lives more readily today.

"You are an inspiration, a legend, a community hero," Jacque said during the presentation. "Sixty-five years in a culture where things don't last."

"Sixty-five years, that's amazing," MacDonald said, noting he's been with the Ephraim department himself for almost 32 years. "That's just something you do not do in this day and age."

And, MacDonald said, Weborg isn't just an 84-year-old figurehead of the department but instead continues to answer the call when the alarms go off, offering his local knowledge and direction and advice based on those years of experience.

"He's a big asset," he said to the Advocate. "He knows so many people, knows the inner workings of so many buildings. It's hard to let that go. And no matter the time, you (get a call) at 2 in the morning, and he's always there."

That was when Weborg married Joan Sohns and became the son-in-law of then-Chief William Sohns. He also began a career not quite as long in Door County's shipbuilding industry, working for 34 years at Peterson Builders, then 10 at Bay Shipbuilding after Peterson closed, alongside his career with the fire department.

Weborg became assistant fire chief in 1970, then took on the role of fire chief in 1981 – "Didn't have anybody willing to step up," he said – and served as chief for 34 years before retiring in 2015.

His son, Bill Weborg, became a member of the department, too. Niles was planning to step down as chief and grooming Bill to take over, but Bill, who had become the assistant chief, died of a heart attack while heading out on a call in 2004, the first Door County firefighter to die in the line of duty. With no one else in line, Niles continued as chief until age 75 .

Of course, the art of firefighting and rescue operations has changed and improved dramatically in Weborg's 65 years with the department, and MacDonald said Weborg has been a huge part of helping the Ephraim department keep up with the times.

When Weborg started out in 1959, the fire station was literally a cave, a hollow in the bluff on State 42, and it was still using the first fire truck it ever had, a 1934 Ford pumper truck. Also, "Back then, training was a case of beer and who could tell the best story," MacDonald said during the ceremony to laughs from the audience, "compared to the hundreds of hours of training required to become a firefighter today."

Under Weborg's watch as chief, the fire station moved in 1990 to a then-new, better-equipped building on Norway Street, and the department got a new fire truck in 2012 (there were others after the 1934 Ford pumper) that MacDonald called "a Cadillac of a truck." MacDonald said Weborg was the driving force in making those changes happen and convincing some of the doubtful members of the village board that it was something that needed to happen, while also being hands-on with the development of the building and the truck.

"When it was being built, he went through this building with a fine-tooth comb," MacDonald said about the station, "telling them the welds were no good from his shipbuilding experience (chuckles)."

Weborg said he also became an emergency medical services (EMS) provider before Door County had an EMS system and sometimes would be called upon to give emergency life-saving measures in other communities.

Weborg also was the driving force behind creation of the Ephraim Fire House Museum. It's the old fire station in the cave on State 42, housing artifacts and memorabilia collected by Weborg and donated by firefighters from around the world as well as Ephraim's old 1934 Ford pumper fire truck. The museum is dedicated to Bill Weborg, whose name also is on the current fire truck in his memory.

"That was 100% Niles," MacDonald said. "When his son died, it drove him a little more to get (the museum) done. From the museum to where the fire department is now, Niles was involved in all of this."

When asked by the Advocate, Weborg said he certainly didn't think that when he started with the fire department in 1959, he'd still be an active member 65 years later. But, he indicated the alternative, to "(sit) at home and get lazy and watch TV," isn't an alternative he'd consider.

And, he said he'd do it not just as long as he's able but also as long as there's a need for firefighters. He said a number of young people in Northern Door who are or might be interested in becoming firefighters end up leaving the area.

"As you step down the road, you see where the need is," Weborg said. "And if you didn't think it was a worthwhile cause, you wouldn't do it. You see a need for it. … There's no job too big or too small for firefighters.

"I never thought that 65 years ago (when) I married the fire chief's daughter, I would inherit the fire department."

C ontact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County man, 84, cited by state for being an Ephraim firefighter for 65 years