Charles “Chas” Roethe is a second-generation newspaper owner and journalst who contributed to The Fennimore Times for more than 70 years. Roethe was a WNA award-winning editorial writer, well-known for his “Times portraits” of local figures and his “Wayside Observation” column that allowed him to comment on community events.
Roethe begain with The Fennimore Times in 1928 covering the local high school conference champion football team. He took on more duties, eventually becoming editor and publisher. Roethe was also a talented linotype operator who could compose stories at the linotype keyboard. He saw the Times from the set type through the advent of computers.
Roethe has received several local honors and awards, including Citizen of the Year in 1985 and “Mr. Fennimore” in 1993. A respected colleague, Roethe’s longevity and talent as a journalist influenced writers throughout southwest Wisconsin for decades. It has been said that he simply “got it” when it came to community journalism.
