Neil C Hilgenberg

Neil C. Hilgenberg was born March 31, 1923, in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the United States Navy at age 17 and served on a destroyer for six years. He was the youngest Chief Petty Officer in the Navy and was honorably discharged in April 1946 as a Chief Electrician’s Mate.

He and his wife of over 60 years, LaVera A. Schroeder, moved to Shawano in 1955 and raised their four sons.

After being employed as an electrician, Vice President of Wright Broiler Co., and a salesman at Paul Host Chevrolet, he opened his own real estate company in 1963. He was one of the first firms in the Shawano area to employ additional sales associates and was a founding officer of the Shawano-Menominee-Oconto County Board of Realtors. He was also a strong advocate of education.

He served as a Director of the Wisconsin Realtors Association, was a graduate of the Realtors Institute, and a graduate of the Reisch Worldwide College of Auctioneering. He later became affiliated with Coldwell Banker and maintained offices in Shawano, Clintonville, and Green Bay, bringing all four of his sons into the real estate business.

A strong community supporter, he was a Past President of Shawano Rotary, the Shawano Industrial Development Corporation, and Chairman of the Spirit of Shawano Parks project, as well as an active member of the Shawano American Legion and 40 et 8.

He also supported many local projects including the Shawano Medical Center Foundation, Shawano Area Waterways, Shawano school building projects, Shawano Dollars for Scholars, the Shawano County Republican Party, and was a lifelong member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Shawano.

Neil passed away on December 9, 2009.