JANESVILLE
It took Randy Thompson five years to learn that the longtime Rock County 4-H Fair volunteer known simply as Dutch was really named Clarence Schultz.
The ever-present nickname showed how Schultz鈥檚 passion working as Dutch the Clown could seep into other aspects of his life. After many years performing and volunteering, Dutch died Nov. 29 at the age of 90.
Thompson, the current fair board president, has been involved with the county fair for 33 years. Dutch鈥檚 involvement preceded him, lasting 50 years, he said.
Dutch鈥檚 main job at the fair was emptying trash cans and ensuring the grounds were clean.
鈥淭hat was just one of his missions to make sure the fair was a great place to visit,鈥 Thompson said. 鈥淗e certainly took that seriously. He just loved the fair, and he thought that was an important part of the fair experience鈥攁 nice clean grounds.鈥
Dutch was meticulous about the fairgrounds. That quality was a major part of his identity.
As a boy, he was enamored with model trains before later developing a passion for the circus. As an adult, he combined the two interests by building a large, carefully manicured circus train layout, son Bruce Schultz said.
The model circus train set covered three four-by-eight sheets of plywood. It remained set up in the family basement when it wasn鈥檛 being hauled across Wisconsin or Illinois for model train shows through his membership in the Circus Model Builders, Bruce said.
鈥淚t was his obsession,鈥 he said. 鈥淣ot just a passion. It was an obsession.鈥
His clown persona started after he dressed as one for Halloween at a church event. The positive feedback encouraged him to make costumes, learn clown makeup and entertain through magic tricks and plate spinning, Bruce said.
Dutch collected a lot of memorabilia from old circuses and was a wealth of Ringling Brothers knowledge. If he knew the performers who were coming to a local circus, he would leave for a few weeks to clown and travel with the troupe.
The model trains, clown performances and circus memorabilia all formed a tangled, time-consuming hobby, Bruce said.
Thompson said Dutch鈥檚 fastidiousness at the fairgrounds could make him seem gruff, but he was dedicated and full of energy and enthusiasm. The fair will likely create some sort of memorial in his honor.
Dutch鈥檚 last year as a fair volunteer was 2016. He still came back the next year to check if ground maintenance was operating smoothly, Thompson said.
Even in the winter doldrums, when the county fair was months away, Dutch was brainstorming ways to improve next year鈥檚 experience, Thompson said.
鈥淚鈥檇 bump into him at Farm and Fleet in December and January, he鈥檇 say, 鈥楻andy, I鈥檝e been thinking about this a lot. I know where I鈥檓 going to put a 2-yard Dumpster so it鈥檚 more convenient for the exhibitors and fairgoers,鈥欌 he said. 鈥淚t seemed like every year I鈥檇 bump into him, he鈥檇 be thinking about that and have to share his plans for next year.鈥