FIRST STATE BANK OF ST. JOSEPH

1904 TO 2004

"A Tradition of Community Banking"

One hundred years ago St. Joseph was a rural community with a growing population, an emerging business district, a convent, and a college. Several local residents recognized the need for banking services, a place to deposit funds and obtain loans. In November of 1904, the First State Bank of St. Joseph was organized by Nick Muller and John Lauermann, both of St. Joseph, and F.P. Leisen of St. Cloud, with a capital investment of $10,000. November 20, 1904 was set as the commencement date for the corporation. The first Board of Directors consisted of Mr. Muller, Mr. Lauermann and Mr. Leisen. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors, Mr. Leisen served as president, Mr. Muller as vice president and Mr. Lauermann as cashier. The site of the first bank building was one block north of the current Minnesota Street, on the southwest corner of College Avenue and Ash Street.

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In 1909, the interests of Mr. Leisen and Mr. Lauermann were purchased by John C. Crever, who was 32 years old at the time, and joined the bank as cashier. Total assets of the bank at that time were approximately $73,890.

Mr. Crever had attended elementary school in St Wendel Township, graduated from the St. Cloud High School and attended the Sauk Centre Academy. After graduation, he taught school, worked as a bookkeeper at the First National Bank in St. Cloud, was employed at the Stearns County Treasurer’s office and had served six years as Stearns County Auditor.

By December 31, 1913, total assets of the bank had grown to $214,480. Early in 1914, John C. Crever added to his interests by purchasing additional First State Bank of St. Joseph stock from Nick Muller. Mr. Crever became president of the bank in April that same year.

In 1917, a new bank building was constructed on what is now Minnesota Street West, across from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and Lab School. The bank building replaced the Washington House, a hotel and restaurant previously located on that site. Total assets of the bank on December 31, 1917 were $336,567. (On June 8, 1982, the bank building was declared an historic landmark and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.)

The First State Bank of St. Joseph survived a very difficult period of history, the Great Depression. While other banks were failing and closing their doors, the First State Bank of St. Joseph remained a stable institution in the community. It was during that time that the bank purchased the assets of the Farmers State Bank of St. Joseph, a St. Joseph Bank which failed during the Depression. Assets of the First State Bank of St. Joseph on December 31, 1932 totaled $420,973.00.

Claude Crever became president of the First State Bank of St. Joseph upon his father’s death in 1953. He had begun his employment at the bank in 1925 after graduation from the St. Cloud Business College. He left to work with the First National Bank of Bertha from 1946 to 1948, then returned to the First State Bank of St. Joseph in 1948. Claude R. Crever remained president of the bank until his retirement in January of 1967. At that time total assets of the bank were $1,893,000.

In 1967, the interests of the Crever family were purchased by William Meinz, who was employed as cashier at that time.

William Meinz had attended elementary school in Rockville and graduated from Cold Spring high school and Drew’s Business College in St. Cloud. He served in the U.S. Navy from May 1942 until October 1945, during World War II. In October of 1945 he moved to St. Joseph and started working at the First State Bank of St. Joseph as assistant cashier. In 1967 Mr. Meinz became president of the bank.

As the bank grew, it became evident that a larger facility was needed. In July of 1978 groundbreaking ceremonies were held for a new bank building to be constructed at 25 College Avenue North, the former site of Great Plains Supply Co. Construction was completed in 1979. On April 24, 1979 a ribbon of 75 $1.00 bills, one for each year the bank had served the community, was cut as part of the dedication ceremony for the new building. Along with the new facilities there was ample parking, more convenient hours, a drive-up window and a night depository vault. By December 31, 1979 bank assets totaled $9,438,000.

William Meinz remained president of the First State Bank of St. Joseph until his retirement in 1981. On September 16, 1981, Mr. Meinz sold his interests in the bank. The new owners of the bank were Donald G. St. Angelo, vice president of Dain Bosworth, Inc., Minneapolis, Robert W. Hanson, vice president of Rosemount, Inc., Eden Prairie, and Donald A. Sirek, president of the State Bank of New Prague. The new owners appointed Walter Bruns as president of the bank effective November 9, 1981. Total bank assets on December 31, 1981 were $11,825,000.

Walter Bruns was a graduate of Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Graduate School of Banking at the Univesity of Wisconsin, the National School of Real Estate Finance at Ohio State University and the National Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Bruns worked with the First Mid America Bank of Coon Rapids for 6 years and was vice president of the First National Bank of Waseca for three and one half years prior to coming to St. Joseph.

In 1985 the bank installed an in-house computer system to increase efficiency and provide better service to its customers. The original computer system hardware has since been replaced and software has been upgraded numerous times since its installation. At year-end 1985, total bank assets were $15,387,000.

Duane Sorensen succeeded Walter Bruns as president of the First State Bank of St. Joseph in March of 1986. Mr. Sorensen had served as president of Brookdale State Bank and for five years prior to coming to St. Joseph had been president of the First National Bank of Williston, North Dakota.

In 1989, Donald A Sirek became bank president. Mr. Sirek, one of the owners of the bank who had previously retired from the State Bank of New Prague, served as president for approximately three and one half years, until January of 1993 when Gregory J. Reinhart became president. Total assets on January 1, 1993 were $25,210,000.

In 1999, the bank began planning for a new larger facility, which would be more easily accessible to its customers. Groundbreaking took place on September 28, 1999. Construction continued throughout the fall and winter of 1999 to 2000. The building was completed in 2000 and the bank was relocated to its new facility at 400 – 4^th Ave NE on June 26, 2000. By December 31, 2000, the bank had grown to $45,959,000 in total assets.

On January 1, 2004, as the First State Bank of St. Joseph entered its 100^th year. The bank remains an independent community bank and it continues to grow along with the community it serves. New products and services are continually being added. The officers and employees of the bank look forward to many more years of serving the community and its people, as the "Tradition of Community Banking" continues.