A weekly feature, “Get to know your neighbor” is a chance to learn more about the residents of Marshfield and surrounding communities. If you would like to be considered as the subject of a future profile, please email the editor, Adam Hocking, at [email protected] Put “neighbor” in the subject line, and provide a short explanation of why you would like to be featured.

This week’s featured resident is Joe Kolb. He lives on West Fifth Street in Marshfield.

Hub City Times: Are you originally from Marshfield?

Joe Kolb: No, from Stratford.

HCT: How long have you been in the Marshfield community?

JK: Approximately 15 years.

HCT: What do you do for a living?

JK: I’m retired. I work part time for the Marshfield School District as a bus aide.

HCT: What did you do prior to retirement?

JK: Drove truck for Roehl Transport 18 years and drove off and on for the last 30 years.

HCT: Was that a good line of work?

JK: Oh yeah, I like driving. You see a lot of country you would never see otherwise.

HCT: You guys have had a garage sale going at your house for some time now. How long has that been going on?

JK: We’ve had it about six weeks now. It’s just five families together trying to (downsize), getting rid of the old so we got room for the new.

HCT: Does it get hectic having people here shopping all the time?

JK: Not really, they’re all friendly. They just walk through and look, and if they buy, fine, and if not, “Thank you for stopping.”

HCT: What have you enjoyed about being in the Marshfield community?

JK: Well, you meet a lot of good people. We are the boys receiving home for Wood County and a foster home. So we’ve had a lot of boys come through (our home).  I don’t know. A lot of them come back and see us and thank us for giving them a chance.

HCT: What got you involved with that?

JK: Need. They needed families, and they talked to us. We had the room, and we like kids.

HCT: Is there anything you would like to see changed in Marshfield?

JK: Better streets (laughs).  No, I guess not.  It’s not a big town, and it’s not a small town. Crime rate isn’t the worst. I mean (we have got) crime like every other place. When we leave, our neighbors across the road and alongside of us here, they watch the house, and we do the same when they leave.