On June 8, 1976, a 19-year-old Monica Arnold stepped behind the salon chair for her very first day as a licensed hairdresser. This week, exactly 50 years later, she is still at it—reflecting on five decades of changing trends, lifelong friendships, and a community she has helped style through the generations.
A $2.70 Haircut and the Smoke-Filled 1970s
When Arnold graduated from beauty school in La Crosse, she originally dreamed of moving to a big city. Instead, she stayed close to her roots in Norwalk, taking a job just two doors down from her house at Joyce’s Beauty Salon, owned by Joyce Noffke. Arnold had already been babysitting for Noffke since the age of 12, making the transition into the salon a natural step.
The salon industry of 1976 looked vastly different than it does today. A standard haircut cost just $2.70, and a perm was $14. Because credit cards didn't exist in local shops, transactions were strictly cash.
The styles of the era required high maintenance, heavy backcombing, and a mountain of hairspray.
"We only had rollers to style hair back then," Arnold recalls. "Blow dryers, curling irons, and 'wash-and-wear' styles didn’t even come to the salon until the 1980s."
In those early days, the salon's hood dryers pulled double duty—stylists would turn them on early in the morning just to heat up the chilly building. The dryers also featured ashtrays so clients could enjoy a cigarette while their hair set. It is a detail Arnold finds highly ironic today, given that she is married to Sparta Area Fire District Chief Mike Arnold.
Tequila Sunrises and the "Wig Wall"
The local salon was the social hub of the community, filled with humor and strict work ethics. Noffke, who ran a tight ship, used to joke with her stylists, "The only time you take off work is for a funeral, and it better be your own! If a client goes to another stylist, they might never come back."
Arnold laughs, remembering the dedication required: "It was almost like the clients owned you!"
Still, the job had its perks. A favorite client, Jake Menn, strategically scheduled his appointments at the end of the day so he could bring Noffke a Tequila Sunrise.
The shop also catered to the unique needs of Wisconsin winters with a dedicated "Wig Wall." The hairpieces were incredibly popular with local snowmobilers who wanted to hit the trails without ruining their updos.
The salon even changed local cultural norms. Originally, men didn't step foot in beauty salons. However, after the local barbershop in Norwalk burned down, Joyce’s Beauty Salon hosted a dedicated "Men’s Night" on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. It didn't take long for local men to become completely comfortable booking daytime salon appointments.
50 Years of Loyalty
Over her 50-year career, Arnold split her time between communities, working in tandem at both the Curl Corner in Sparta (where she worked for Joyce Swiggum for 38 years) and Styles Unlimited in Norwalk (the new name given to Noffke’s shop after Joyce left to become a mail carrier).
Today, Arnold works at Shear Experience in Sparta alongside salon owner Lori Hansen. In a true full-circle moment, Arnold actually gave Hansen her very first haircut when Hansen was just three years old.
Between Arnold (50 years), Hansen (34 years), and the retired Noffke (24 years), the three women—all graduates of the now-closed La Crosse beauty school—represent a staggering 108 years of local salon experience.
But the ultimate testament to Arnold's career is her clients. Her very first weekly customer on Fridays was Mary Cooley. Mary was 34 years old when Gary Noffke (Joyce's husband) suggested she "try out the new girl in the beauty shop." Today, Mary is 84 and has not missed her weekly Friday appointment in 50 years—unless a major Wisconsin snowstorm blocked the roads.
A Heartfelt Thank You
While the perms of the 80s have given way to modern, natural blowouts and embraced grey hair, the core of Arnold's work has never changed.
As she celebrates this rare golden anniversary, Arnold wishes to extend her deepest gratitude to her many long-standing customers. For her, the last 50 years have been defined not just by haircuts, but by decades of shared conversation, deep connection, and community business.
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