(participant playing guitar) ♪ Wanna go home ♪ Seem like another life and time ♪ ♪ Gotta be strong ♪ Sometimes you realize ♪ Through the cold ♪ All that you know ♪ Wanna go home - In an early age, my mom was the choir director at the church and they, my dad was a, he had a beautiful tenor voice and she had a soprano voice and they sang for people's weddings and then they did the cantatas.

You know, so it was always, there was music in our home.

Then my cousin Randy and my cousin Tim and my brother Charlie, you know, they used to have little hoot nannies, you know, and like sing alongs and stuff.

And it was just, as early on I was always infatuated with, you know, and loved it.

(participant plays guitar) A year or so ago, you know, I met David and Hannah, and it kind of opened me up a little bit.

We started really working on different things and we put projects together to perform, and that's been really good for me.

It kind of got me, it reenergized me, and I just said, you know, now now I'm hooked.

(participant laughs) Let's not be embarrassed to tell we're embarrassed.

(bright music) - Well, I joined the National Guard March 2nd of 1982.

I did 20 years in Bravo Battery right here in Madison.

Started out with as a 13 Bravo, and that's a cannon crewman.

And then I moved into food service, and then I retired.

And that was in 2002.

And then in 2008, I reenlisted in the National Guard, and then we went to Iraq.

I guess after Iraq, you know, we got back and, you know, 'cause I did 20 years first and then when I reenlisted, I did another nine years and which a wonderful experience, and I accomplished to retire as a E-8 with 29 years of service.

So very proud of what we did.

Some of the greatest people that I've met my whole life is associated with Minnesota National Guard.

Something to hang on the wall now.

(participant laughs) (bright music) Back in 1917, my grandfather started the Madison Bottling Company, and my dad, his brother Malin and his brother Roland joined the partnership.

And they bottled Sun-Drop right here in this building.

And during the prohibition, I think they sold select beer.

And then as Prohibition lifted, they started selling Schmidt beer.

They would take a model A truck to St.

Paul to the Schmidt Brewing Company and they'd pick up a load of beer and bring it back.

But back in those days when they did that, it wasn't a very good road all the way to Minneapolis and back, but they did that.

My dad retired out of the modeling company in 1982, and then he took over this building, and my uncle and my cousin went out where they're located outside of town on Highway 40 where they are today.

(bright music) And if you can really see it, but 1918, my grandfather Henry W. Roth.

And this was done by my sister Rachel.

And they made a... There's a Henry Roth family.

And the old, his is where we were.

That was at... That's where my garage is.

And then see that little building there, that's where we were... That's where we were sitting in.

(bright music) That is my dad in 1931 drinking a bottle of pop out on the front steps.

I just like that picture 'cause that's an old trike there, you know, rolls up on a trike and drinks pop.

(bright music) Yeah, a lot of things through the years here.

This is my uncle Malin and my uncle Milton.

And that's that truck that they'd... That model a truck 'cause that's when they'd go and they'd get loads of Schmidt beer down in St.

Paul.

(bright music) Back in the '50s, my grandfather went to a bottling convention and he came home and he said, "Boys, I bought this franchise from the Sun-Drop."

And he says, "This is the future of Madison Bottling Company."

And they started bottling Sun-Drop, and it was very successful.

My dad pretty much made all the Sun-Drop that everybody got addicted to around this area.

And everybody was like, well, they, Madison, you know, the Sun-Drop was invented in Madison, Minnesota.

Well, I don't think they told anybody that it is actually from I think South or North Carolina (chuckles) you know, and they bought into the franchise to do it.

But, you know, so there's still today, still today people think, some people think that we invented Sun-Drop.

(participant laughs) You know, so yeah, it's just a funny story, but it's cool bottles.

(bright music) Yeah, I was the youngest of my family, and I was waiting my turn to get a chance to work for the Madison Bottling Company, and the rule was that you had to be 10 years old to work for the Madison Bottling Company.

And I was nine and I was in the house and my brothers were out working, and I heard my dad coming up the stairs and he said, "You want a job?

I'll pay you $0.25 an hour."

And as soon as he said that, I had my boots on and I was down the stairs.

He could have said, I'm not gonna pay you anything, I'll just try you out, and that would've been fine with me too.

I mean, it was just a, you know, and that was just the thing we did, you know.

We worked, worked, worked all day for $2 (laughs) and loved it.

(bright music) Being in the National Guard, being Camp Ripley, you know, I'd bring my guitar, you know.

I'm a harmonica player and I, you know, we'd do stuff that, you know, we'd play for the guys.

That's been fun.

And as far as the opportunity to play like, at, with the church services and just to be part of that, maybe to give a little bit of enjoyment to people.

You know, I guess that's, any musicians, I guess that's where their euphoria comes in, I guess, you know, to be able to get some response, you know, from somebody that enjoys listening to you.

I guess that's what we go for.

Try to spread some joy and get some good feedback.

(bright music) I'm not in it for the money.

You know, I'm not in it for the business.

It's just self, it's self enjoyment.

And that's all I really want.

I don't, you know, I have no dreams of... You know, I think it's a little late to be a rock star.

(participant laughs) You know.

(bright music)