Members of the Milwaukee German-American community lost a familiar voice Monday when long-time radio personality Herb Wittka passed away at the age of 87.

He spent 56 years on the airwaves, and is best-known as the host of Continental Showcase (which still airs). Wittka hosted that show for 49 years, before airing his last show on Aug. 28, 2004.

For more than a half-century, Wittka brought a little piece of the "Old Country" into the homes of immigrants that adopted Milwaukee as their new home. For many, he was a welcoming voice during their first days in the United States.

In our house, it was a weekly ritual. The only time the big stereo system in our living room got used was on Saturday afternoons to listen to -- what my brother, sister and I called -- "the German hour." (OK, to be fair, we called it "da chermin hour" to poke fun at our relatives and their friends.) We hated that music at the time, but as we grew older, we learned to appreciate the importance of our heritage.

On top of her refrigerator, Oma -- my great-grandmother -- still has a (working!) old Motorola AM radio. When I moved back to Milwaukee in 2003, I lived with her and Sunday mornings, we'd go to Mass together. It was her favorite part of the week. We'd come home, she'd make lunch and we'd listen to Herb together -- he was part of the family.

Long before I sat down behind a microphone to talk about sports, record a newscast or provide a traffic report, I got my first taste of radio during another local German program. I got to meet Herb and I remember thinking it was so cool to meet a "celebrity." Every year at German Fest, I made sure to stop by and say hello ... even if he repeatedly called me by the wrong name; his wife, Edna, reminded him who I was and he laughed.

Programs like Continental Showcase aren't nearly as popular as they were when I was younger. The immigrant generation is leaving us and the younger generation isn't into the traditional German music that Herb played. It's understandable, but at the same time, it's a shame.

Herb Wittka was a radio host, a friend and a source of comfort. He will be deeply missed in the German community.