‘Music has always been my ace in the hole’
By Jennie Zeitler
Gene Retka of Sobieski, Minn., (near Little Falls) has packed a wide range of experiences into his decades of life. Some lasted a short time, others longer. It’s music that has been the strongest link through all the years.
Gene grew up in Sobieski and Little Falls. He began taking accordion lessons at age 15, and started helping out in local bands. He was singing in church soon after that. He has sung and played in his own band since he was 18, and with a couple of Polish polka bands from the Twin Cities for the last five years.
“My first job was at Fleet Supply in Little Falls, for four years,” Gene said. “Then I worked as a welder at Polar Manufacturing in Opole for four years. After that, I worked at the Royal Café and went to St. Cloud State for music at the same time, for another four years.”
But during that time, he usually made music on weekends, often working up to three jobs.
“I always had two things going on at once,” he explained. “I grew up poor and never wanted to be caught without any income coming in. Music was always my ace in the hole.”
Gene’s first band, the Jolly Cousins, played its first gig Dec. 22, 1971. Gene sang and played the accordion for their polka tunes. They made three albums, in 1975, 1979 and 1985.
“We used to pack the places we played,” he said. “When we played Joe’s Bar in Elmdale, with the dance hall in the back, cars were lined from the church to where 238 turns south. We had fun!”
In 1981, the band developed into the Flatfoot Band. Gene played accordion, piano and bass.
“Wedding receptions wanted more rock music,” he said.
Music is simply a natural part of Gene’s life, and he even played the accordion and sang to his bride, Janet, at their wedding is 1993.
Gene now plays in a band called “The Main Squeeze” at polka festivals and private events in Eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin. He also plays with “Live It Up!” sometimes referred to as The Main Squeeze’s “alter ego.” Gene mainly plays piano during the band’s performances, which are mostly in Wisconsin.
For the last 40 years, Gene has broadcast “Polka World Today” every Sunday morning starting at WYRQ FM and then at KLTF AM. When the show began, he was given a half hour, because “they didn’t think it would be successful.” At the end of 13 weeks, the show was expanded to one hour. Several years later, it went to four hours. It has been a two-hour show since 2000.
“We celebrated 40 years on July 15,” Gene said. “Usually I’m only live until 10:15 or so. The rest is recorded ahead of time so I can go to church.”
One of the highlights of the show includes the birthday and anniversary tributes that are read on air every week.
“There are 60-70 requests and dedications every week,” Gene said. “People really like to hear their names on the radio.”
Gene believes that it’s the best compliment you can pay a person you get to know, calling them by their name.
He still sings in church as a member of Our Lady of Lourdes parish community in Little Falls. For the last 20 years especially, he’s been singing at funerals.
“Now I sing with my son, Michael. He’s playing the organ or the piano. He sings lead and I’ll sing harmony,” said Gene. “That really works slick. I’m proud of his musical ability.”
Since 1982, Gene has been running an insurance business in Little Falls. He and Janet and Michael operate Retka Insurance. Gene averages 30 hours per week at the office during busy times, and works some hours at home too.
Since 1990, he has been crop farming. Not having enough time to raise livestock, he plants crops to keep his hand in. He and Michael do the planting during about three weeks in May.
“When you live on a farm with farm land, it’s fun to watch crops grow,” said Gene.
Harvest comes during a busy business time for Medicare agents, so that is hired out, because he “can’t do everything.”
In 1991, Gene started the Greater Minnesota 2-cylinder Club. At one time there were up to 350 members, and the numbers are still high. He became an area coordinator, setting up a few different clubs in and around Stearns, Morrison and Wadena Counties. As part of that work, he published a 16-20-page newsletter in the early 1990s.
He enjoys restoring tractors and recently completed a 1957 John Deere 520 that he found online. It was in good condition, but still needed a lot of new parts. It needed new wiring. The engine was rebuilt by a friend, Dave Becker. Al Heinz did the painting.
Genealogy and history are other interests that keep Gene busy. He has lived in Sobieski most of his life, having moved there with his family when he was four. He also lived in Little Falls for about 10 years. He was on the first parish council of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in 1973.
When St. Stanislaus celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 1984, Gene put together a book of church history, covering the printing himself.
Three generations of his family are buried in the church cemetery.
“My great-grandpa Valentine Cichon homesteaded right next to where I live now. He was born in Poland,” Gene said.
He is very active with Find-a-Grave, being the caretaker for 119 memorials. He also researches more family history at Ancestry.com.
“Any breaks in the day, especially in winter, I can do that kind of stuff,” he said. “I’ve been saving and scanning photos. I get a lot off the internet.”
Although he cut back on music a bit in 2000, and he retired last year from his 13 years of teaching catechism at St. Stanislaus, his schedule remains quite busy with a wide cross-section of activities. He is definitely the epitome of an active senior.
It would be easy to draw comparisons to the Energizer bunny, as Gene keeps going despite a number of health challenges in the past few years. He is cancer-free after a battle in 2021. In 2022, he had hip replacement surgery in January, and his knees were replaced in May and August.
“It feels like my life has moved back 10 years,” he said. “They discovered that I needed to be on a CPAP machine. Now I sleep better, I’m rested and I just feel better.”
Gene has been giving to his community for many years, and he doesn’t see an end in sight.
“I want to do all the stuff as long as I can,” Gene said. “I can’t do everything I used to, but I’m keeping active for a reason.”
Recently, Gene played two jobs in Moose Lake over a weekend. One was a wedding and one was a dance. He also played at a festival in Stevens Point, Wis.
“I’m happy when I’m doing things, making progress every day. It’s something I can accomplish,” he said. “It gives me a reason to get up in the morning.”
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