In late 1945, Frank and Mary Schussler, Germans from Yugoslavia, arrived in Peshtigo, with barely a penny to their names. However, with great faith in the American Dream they made it come true.

Frank managed to buy a small appliance store at a time when it was next to impossible to get stock for his little business because of lingering wartime shortages. It was on French Street on the north side near the corner of Emery Avenue.

He somehow parlayed this little grubstake into buying the Morning Star, a bare, simple frame tavern, and he and Mary set to work making it a successful business, with their energy and Teutonic charm. They were host and hostess in broadly smiling, cheerful old-world style, speaking fractured English and making lots of friends.

After their departure, their daughter Ann and her husband Jerry Polacek successfully operated and expanded the bar and supper club, which to this day serves some of the area’s finest food, specializing in traditional European dishes.

Today grandson Mark, wife Susan, and great grandson Tyler have greatly enlarged the business into a major enterprise capable of hosting several large groups at a time, reunions, annual meetings, wedding receptions, all kinds of large gatherings with a high level of efficiency and service, and the best of fresh European / American food, wines, import beer, as well as an efficient off-premise catering services.The steps that many old timers tumbled down years ago now lead to a luxurious barroom with adjoining dinner and reception facilities than can easily accommodate more than 500 people in separate rooms when needed.