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About Us How long has Going Garbage been in operation? Who started the business? We’ve been swamping garbage for Door County residents and businesses since April Fools Day, 1963. Going Garbage was started by Jeff’s parents (Dorothea and Percy Johnson) and Jeff’s uncle (Dorothea’s brother) Jack Grasse. At the time, Jack owned Anchorage Disposal in Alaska and urged Dorothea and Percy to buy their first garbage truck. A true original, Jack actually ran for governor of Alaska - his campaign slogan was “Garbage Man Grasse for Governor.” Do you remember who Going Garbage’s first customer was? The first customer of Going Garbage (in true family fashion) was none other than Dorothea’s mother, Antoinette Grasse. However, a close second was a certain restaurant in Sister Bay that features goats on the roof. What is the history of the Johnson family? Jeff’s great-grandfather, Halvor Anderson and his brother Aslag were Norwegian immigrants who came over by boat and settled in Ephraim. While Halvor milled lumber, Aslag ran Anderson Dock. Jeff’s grandparents, Hilda (nee Anderson) and Soren Christ Johnson, who immigrated from Denmark, had a farm near Garrett Bay. They raised their family at this farm, including his son Percy, who saw ships seek shelter in Garrett Bay (Even today, boats and freighters still seek safe harbor and ride out rough seas in the deep waters of Garrett Bay!). It seems fitting that Percy would end up sailing aboard Great Lakes freighters. Percy, Jeff’s father, worked as a commercial fisherman in Ellison Bay and Gills Rock before joining the Reiss Line as a freighter conveyor engineer. Percy sailed the Great Lakes for 38 years while Dorothea managed the day-to-day operations of Going Garbage back home and raised three children - Jill (Lhost), John, and Jeff. Dorothea liked to say that Going Garbage was her fourth child! After Dorothea’s death, Jeff continued to run Going Garbage with his wife, Christi. Christi spent her childhood summers in Ephraim. Because Anderson Dock holds special meaning to both Jeff and Christi, this is where they became engaged. Again, a water theme; they were married on Mackinac Island. As luck would have it, a freighter passed through the Straits of Mackinac just as they exchanged wedding vows at the water’s edge!
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Going Garbage & Recycling Inc., copyright© 2008, All rights reserved. Last update on: March 16, 2009 |
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