ROCHELLE — Sam Graber, owner of Graber Financial Group at 409 4th Ave. and a former Rochelle Township High School history teacher and assistant basketball coach, recently retired from his work selling insurance in the community.

Graber, who will turn 82 this month, has lived and worked in Rochelle for the past 55 years. He grew up in Mineral Point, Wisconsin and attended college at Lakeland College (now University). After receiving his master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, a history professor there told him about a job opening at RTHS for a history teacher and assistant basketball coach position in 1969.

“I called here about it and came down here on the train with my wife for the interview,” Graber said. “The train station here was still operating back in 1969. After we went back home, they called and offered me the job and we decided to take it.”

Graber taught and coached at RTHS from 1969 until his retirement from teaching in 1984. He originally had plans to move on from Rochelle in hopes of becoming a head basketball coach, but opted to stay in the Rochelle community that welcomed him due to enjoying the city and his work at RTHS.

In 1969 while teaching at RTHS, Graber was recruited by a man named Ken Detweiler to start selling life insurance part-time. 

“I didn't plan on getting back to him about it,” Graber said. “But I went to a meeting because he asked me. He said it could be a life-changing experience for me and my family. And it was. My wife told me to give it a look. The rest is history. I sold insurance from 1969 on, after my retirement, until now. Mr. Detweiler was like a father figure to me. I never saw myself doing it, but I saw what it was and I got involved.”

Later on, Graber inherited the insurance business from Detweiler, working in Rochelle and the surrounding counties. He mostly offered life insurance and fixed annuities. He was a staple of the downtown in his 4th Avenue space for over 20 years.

Graber called himself “blessed” over his 55-year career in the insurance business. He said he kept working for so long because he enjoyed the work and the people and meeting with families. Selling insurance was never his plan, with his original focuses being just teaching and coaching. The insurance business taught him perseverance.

“It was never a hard sell,” Graber said. “I was pretty laid back. I got into insurance more and the business got bigger. I had the chance to recruit people and brought them in to work in my agency. I told potential clients I had an idea and people were willing to listen and purchase it. I enjoyed it. I wanted to be honest, truthful and not push people. I would make appointments on Sunday nights when the whole family was home so I could meet everybody.  And probably 80-90 percent said no, but you just persevered and kept doing it. And I saw those emotions when someone would pass away that had a policy. You couldn't bring back their loved one, but you could bring them a check. I never saw myself in this career, but it grew on me.”

Graber and his wife, Sandi, became fixtures in the community over their 55 years in it. Sandi is a former minister at local churches around the area. Sam got involved in the Rochelle Rotary Club in the 1980s and is a member to this day. 

“I've worked on a lot of Rotary fundraisers over the years and I'm a former president,” Graber said. “It's an organization that gives and is very strong and supportive of different causes all over the world. I used to travel with my wife and I'd go to Rotary meetings in different destinations. I just got involved in the community. We just fit in and said, 'This is going to be home.' I never saw myself living here for 55 years. My wife and I fell in love with Rochelle and raised our three sons here. I made a lot of good friends here.”

Graber’s son, Matt, said he and his brothers always took pride in their father’s work ethic and knew what his work and being active in the community meant to him. He recalls his dad being out after school selling policies, but said he still made it to as many of his children’s sports games as he could. 

Upon retirement, Graber thanked his family, clients, past coworkers and the community.

“I've had some great help over the years,” Graber said. “I've been blessed. I couldn't have asked for a better career here. For our family, Rochelle turned out to be a blessing. It was the right place to be and we were fortunate to come here. I owe Rochelle an awful lot.”