Born June 18, 1931 in Ebikon, canton Luzern, Switzerland, Joe Rast
was an active member of the Monroe Swiss Singers at the
time of his passing on Friday, June 16, 1995. Joe, along with his wife,
Severina, were charter members of the Monroe Swiss Singers and, throughout
the years, very active with the group.
Joe came to the United States in 1949, working in the cheesemaking and dairy industries, serving in the U.S. military and attending masonry school. He worked for and eventually purchased Kuhne Lumber and Construction, a well-known business in Monroe which specialized in Old World craftsmanship and building Swiss chalets.
In addition to being a member of the Monroe Swiss Singers, Joe was a longtime member of the Monroe Turner Hall Board of Directors and a member of St. Victor Catholic Church. A devoted husband, Joe was father to three daughters and two sons, and grandfather to seven.
Photo: Joe, in July 1994, enroute to the 34th Swiss Singing Festival in Ottawa, Canada.