Herman Wiley Ronnenberg was born in Evansville, Illinois, in 1947. Receiving undergraduate degrees in history and physical education, he went on to earn an M.A. in library science and an M.S.E. from the University of Missouri in Warrensburg, ultimately receiving a Ph.D. in Historical Archaeology from the University of Idaho. After graduating from the University of Idaho, Ronnenberg spent twenty years teaching in Pomeroy, ID, and eventually becoming adjunct faculty for the University of Idaho History Department from 2009-2014.

Beyond teaching, he had several other ventures throughout his life, including sports coach, librarian, restaurateur, writer and owner of Heritage Witness Reflection Publishing. From 1985-1988, Ronnenberg and his wife Diane, owned a restaurant in Troy, ID called The Brewery. A historian of beer and brewing, Ronnenberg published several books and articles on the subject. With the publication of History of the Brewing Industry in Idaho, 1862-1960 he delved into the beer industry in Idaho. As he continued to write, he began focusing on specific Idahoans such as brewer John Lemp and pioneer settlers Jeanette Manuel and Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie. He died on June 2, 2015.