Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/35164
Driv Seater’s the In After a personal tragedy changed her life, Darlene Ballweg steered herself toward a new future By Kim Dearth Photographed by Amber Arnold “W hen life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” We’ve all heard the saying, but not many of us truly take it to heart; instead we brush it aside as one of those well- meaning platitudes tossed around when things go wrong. For Darlene Ballweg, however, this simple statement, found on a kitchen magnet affixed to her oven door, is more than a throw- away truism—it is a life mantra. Today, Ballweg is the powerhouse we see as the face of the epony- mous car dealerships—the small, tanned woman in those fun- loving commercials who lends her personal touch at locations in Sauk City, Middleton, Wausau and LaCrosse. But it wasn’t always that way. For years she was content working on a farm and rais- ing a family. Then, in the face of personal tragedy, she was forced to rethink her way of life, ultimately making one seemingly simple decision that would lead her down an entirely new path: Taking over her husband’s business and forging her own road to success. A small-town girl who grew up on a farm outside Lodi, Ballweg was raised with that pragmatic Midwestern mentality and unend- ing work ethic. A girl whose youthful days were full of the type of fun that comes from growing up on a farm known for its annual corn maze, it was no surprise when Ballweg grew and found herself falling in love with a farming man. Though she had earned a teach- ing degree from Columbia County Teachers’ College in Columbus, Wis., after marrying Danny Ballweg in 1956, it only felt natural to leave the classroom and head back to her farming roots. “I was a chore girl, carrying milk and feeding calves,” Ballweg states matter-of-factly about married life on the couple’s dairy farm. “It was a hard life but I was happy.” In 1965, Danny decided to double his business ventures. While Ballweg helped maintain the family farm and take care of their four children, Danny purchased a Chevy franchise from a widow in Sauk Prairie. In the next two years, he decided to expand. Part- nering with 22-year-old Les Mack—who had started working for the Ballwegs when he was just 18—in a Chevy/Buick dealership in Lancaster. Then, in 1984, tragedy struck. Danny was killed in a farming ac- cident. After 28 years of marriage, Ballweg was suddenly a widow— and solely responsible for both the family farm and the car business. It was a daunting proposition presented in the midst of her grief. “When you lose a partner it’s like cutting off your right arm,” She candidly explains. “[Danny and I] were so close. Even on Sun- day morning we would just sit around reading the paper, not talk- ing, but it was so comfortable.” At 49, Ballweg was at a crossroads. Did she sell the businesses and make a comfortable life for herself on the farm? For her answer, she did something unusual; in spite of her no-nonsense demeanor, she relied on her intuition. “I decided this was where I belonged,” she says of the dealerships. “Darlene was a farmer’s wife until that day,” remembers Mack, the man who had worked for the Ballwegs for many years and had bought their Lancaster franchise in 1980. “A few weeks after the June 2011 bravamagazine.com 35