Historical Society program on Monday to discuss early days of radio in Decorah

Verne Koenig at KDEC Radio

Former KDEC Radio owner Verne Koenig will speak Monday at the meeting of the Decorah Genealogy Association and Winneshiek County Historical Society at 7:00 pm in the Decorah Public Library meeting room.  Koenig will tell about his career in radio and the important role radio played in the life of our rural communities.

Koenig was hired as a radio announcer by KFJB in Marshalltown in 1944, then in 1946 went to work in Dubuque for KDTH. He came to Decorah in 1950 to work for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald which owned KDTH in Dubuque and KDEC in Decorah. The next year he became co-owner of KDEC with Ken Bjerke. They owned and operated the radio station from 1951 until they retired and sold the station in 1986.

All Decorah Genealogy Association and Winneshiek County Historical Society program meetings are free and open to the general public.