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By HOWARD WIEDENHOEFT<\/p>\n
Throughout their operations,\u00a0Ixonia Mutual Insurance Company<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Watertown Mutual Insurance Company<\/a>\u00a0steadfastly served the small town communities of southeastern Wisconsin. However, “small town” is not to say they operated in a bubble of oblivion to rest of the world. Both mutuals maintained a keen awareness of national and international affairs and proactively sought\u00a0to protect their policyholders as best they could.<\/p>\n In the 1930-1940s, as Americans watched the disintegration of European stability, both Ixonia Mutual and Watertown Mutual carefully managed their organizations. We have record of this in their company minutes, although interestingly, each covered these tumultuous times in different ways.<\/p>\n Between 1934 and 1966, the secretaries of Ixonia Mutual chose to keep minimal records, noting only election results for the board of directors and officers; the amount of assessments leveed, if any; and the year-end bookkeeping. Only on a rare occasion did the secretary record anything additional and only small pieces of information can be gathered from the treasurer\u2019s books.<\/p>\n Thankfully for our research purposes, Watertown Mutual was more detailed in its recordkeeping. Now written in English (they were written in German during the company’s early years), the minutes give good insight to a mutual’s operation during this era.<\/p>\n According to Watertown Mutual’s minutes, a special meeting was called on January 17, 1938, by Secretary E.F. Neumann. He called this meeting to advise the board that \u201cthe mutual had to pay 1% of the earnings of the 6 directors that were below 65 years into the social security fund at Washington.”<\/em> This amounted to $10.52 for 1937. One might wonder what Neumann’s opinion was for the social security law?<\/p>\n On June 8, 1942, Watertown Mutual again recorded minutes indicative of the times:<\/p>\n \u201cThe secretary read a communication from the War Damage Insurance Corporation of Washington DC offering this company the participation in fire losses occurring through enemy war machines or through our own fighting of enemy attack under their own set up conditions. After the board discussed the proposition it was decided to defer acceptance of the proposal for the time being! The reason: we are not set up like stock companies! Whence our risks are widely scattered, that in any case of loss from such a condition we could take care of it and would.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n During these years, both Ixonia Mutual and Watertown Mutual make record of purchasing World War II bonds. Later, in 1953, Watertown Mutual would once again invest in bonds\u2014three $5,000 B. C Ziegler bonds at 3.5% interest for five years.<\/p>\n It’s interesting to see how world events affected the operations of two relatively small insurance companies. It’s also reassuring to know our founders were careful managers of their companies. These are traditions Forward Mutual carries on today.<\/p>\n By the Minutes: Introduction<\/a><\/p>\n 1872 Watertown Mutual Founded<\/a><\/p>\n 1875 Ixonia Mutual Founded<\/a><\/p>\n Comparing the Capitalizing of Two Early Mutuals<\/a><\/p>\n A Mutual\u2019s First Claim<\/a><\/p>\n Supporting Dairy in the Late 1800s<\/a><\/p>\n 1879 Early Challenges for a Young Mutual<\/a><\/p>\n Ixonia Mutual\u2019s First $1000 Loss<\/a><\/p>\n 1885 A Year of Neighbor Helping Neighbor<\/a><\/p>\n Changes of Bylaws<\/a><\/p>\n Our Dairy Heritage<\/a><\/p>\n Insuring Automobiles<\/a><\/p>\n Taxes, War and the English Language<\/a><\/p>\n Supporting the Community\u2019s Fire Protection<\/a><\/p>\n Board Directors and Their Meetings<\/a><\/p>\n Standardization of Wisconsin Mutuals<\/a><\/p>\n Of Electricity, Radio and Foxes<\/a><\/p>\n Our Annual Meetings Over the Years<\/a><\/p>\n Tumultuous 1930-1940s<\/a><\/p>\n How a Major Disaster Affected Extended Coverage and Reinsurance<\/a><\/p>\n Surviving the Big Dogs in the 1960s<\/a><\/p>\n Introducing Agents to the Mutuals<\/a><\/p>\n Accounting Over the Years<\/a><\/p>\n Centennial Anniversaries<\/a><\/p>\n Mutual Offices<\/a><\/p>\n Mutual Managers and Staff<\/a><\/p>\n Establishing Confidence in Financial Strength<\/a><\/p>\n Entering the Era of Computers<\/a><\/p>\n The 1990s, Advancement and Angst<\/a><\/p>\n The Start of the 21st Century<\/a><\/p>\n Concord and Watertown Merge<\/a><\/p>\n Ixonia Mutual and Watertown Mutual Merge and a New Company is Formed<\/a><\/p>\n Setting the Stage, Moving Forward with a New 2020 Vision<\/a><\/p>\n
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