MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #210 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Wed., Aug. 23, 2023, in honor of U.S. Army Corporal Donald L. DuPont, who lost his life in the Korean War and whose remains have been identified and returned to Wisconsin for burial.
“The effort to see Corporal DuPont returned home to Wisconsin was an endeavor that took the cooperation, coordination, and dedication of many, and we are grateful for the effort to ensure no service member is left behind,” said Gov. Evers. “We are glad that Corporal DuPont can now be laid to rest in peace. Wisconsin will forever remember his service and his sacrifice.”
Corporal DuPont of Alma Center, a member of B Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, during a battle near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. On Jan. 24, 2023, the remains of Corporal DuPont were identified after North Korea turned over 55 boxes of remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to Corporal DuPont’s name on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, to indicate that he has now been accounted for.
Corporal DuPont will be buried on Wed., Aug. 23, 2023, in Fairchild.
Executive Order #210 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Wed., Aug. 23, 2023, and is available here.
Michael D. McGilvra, age 71, passed away on Friday, August 18, 2023, at Rainbow Hospice in Johnson Creek after a short illness surrounded by his family.
He was born July 28, 1952, to the late Phillip and Donna (Krueger) McGilvra in Columbus, WI. Mike graduated from Waupun High School in 1970, and after graduation he served four years in the Navy. Upon returning from the military, Mike married the love of his life Jill Rosenmeier on June 15, 1974.
In May of 1977, Mike graduated from Moraine Park Technical School and worked in industrial settings as an Electronic Technician, ending his career at Ball Corp in Fort Atkinson, retiring in 2017.
Mike was a loving and supportive husband, father, and grandfather. He loved fishing, camping and spending time with his family and friends. He was a Boy Scout leader while his son was in Scouts. In his retirement he enjoyed working on pottery and stained glass.
He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Whitewater and was a member of the Knights of Columbus serving as Deputy Grand Knight.
Mike is survived by his wife Jill; his children: Jeff McGilvra of Grafton and Ann McGilvra of Fort Atkinson; 4 grandchildren: Andrew, Emma, Jacob, and Miles; siblings: Steve (Deb) McGilvra, Shannon (Maureen) McGilvra, and Diane (DuWayne) Garb; brothers and sisters-in-law: Dave Rosenmeier, Ken (Linda) Rosenmeier, and Nancy Nordbeck. Numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by an infant daughter Megan, his parents; stepfather: Wally Tollers; 2 brothers; Phil and Bruce; brother-in-law: Eric Nordbeck and sister-in-Law: Sue Rosenmeier. And by his father and mother-in-law: Don and Mary Rosenmeier.
The family would like to send a special thank you to Mike’s lifelong friend Randy Schmidt and also to Rainbow Hospice for their excellent care.
A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1225 W. Main St., Whitewater WI. on Friday, August 25, 2023 at 12:00 Noon.
A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Mass at the church.
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the Whitewater Unified School District.
Whitewater High School has earned an Advanced Placement Pacesetter Award from the Wisconsin Advanced Placement Advisory Council (WAPAC) and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
The Pacesetter Awards, unique to Wisconsin, are presented annually to districts throughout the state. This year, they recognize the top 142 out of over 500 high schools for student participation and achievement on Advanced Placement exams.
The Level 3 distinction is awarded to schools in which 10 percent or more of the student body took one or more AP exams, and 60 percent or more of those students earned scores of 3 or above on the exams.
“We are thrilled to receive this statewide recognition,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, WUSD Superintendent. “The Pacesetter Award represents the amazing work that our staff and students put in each and every day at WHS. We are excited to celebrate this achievement as we continue to empower our students to achieve excellence.”
Whitewater High School offers 11 AP courses as part of a rigorous curriculum emphasizing academic excellence. The AP program allows students to participate in college-level coursework while they are still in high school, with the culminating AP exam earning college credit and placement.
UW-Whitewater hosted the Special Olympics Wisconsin summer games for the first time in June. About 1200 athletes competed in track and field events, soccer, tennis, cornhole, and powerlifting. 600 volunteers assisted in running the event.
Nicole Christensen, Senior Director of Sports for Special Olympics Wisconsin, told The Banner, “We are excited to return to Whitewater for the Special Olympics Wisconsin Summer Games. The event will be June 6-8, 2024. The games were held in Stevens Point for 4+ decades before we moved to Whitewater in 2023.”
Sharon Reigstad shared the following story on Facebook a couple weeks ago and gave The Banner permission to pass it on.
I had a chiropractic appointment this afternoon – when I just finished that I stopped at Arby’s on the way home to get something to eat because Ron was out of town. I get up to where I have to order and I know it’s almost impossible for me to hear but I know what I want. I tell the guy on the phone, “You can’t ask me any questions cause I can’t hear what you’re saying to me, so I’m gonna drive up to the window and we can finish the order.” All of a sudden the back door of the building opens. A nice man comes out and he said, “So do you read lips?” I told him yes, he said, “So then would you like to have your drink as part of your meal?” He finished taking my order. I drove up to the window and they gave me the order. I have never ever had this happen to me before; he was so nice and so kind. His name is Wicker!!
I was holding back the tears when I got to the window, so I even forgot what I ordered. It was so amazing!
Our thanks to Sharon Reigstad for allowing us to share her gratitude for a special kindness.
Editor’s note: This information from a Facebook post was submitted by Rhonda Kolander. The Banner regrets that we were unable to obtain clearer images.
New artist at the Tealux Cafe, 129 W. Center Street – James Thelen. Go check out his work!
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Update: Clarification made that the board agenda for the July 13 meeting did not allow for voting by that body, although the council’s agenda did.
The City of Whitewater Common Council (“council”) and the Whitewater Unified School District School Board (“board”) will meet tonight at 6 p.m. with the hope of concluding a nearly six month effort to reach a new agreement for the operation of the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center (“WAFC”). The bodies last met on July 13, and by the conclusion of the nearly 100 minute meeting there seemed to be growing consensus, but there were substantial frustrations expressed along the way by both officials and the public.
Representatives of the council and board have been meeting, whether as full bodies or in a subcommittee, since March 2. From the beginning of the July meeting it was evident that the groups had different ideas regarding the purpose of the session. The council’s agenda allowed for discussion and possible action on the proposals offered by the city and the district, and Council President James Allen indicated that everyone was prepared to stay as long as necessary to hopefully conclude negotiations. Board President Larry Kachel, however, soon made clear that the board would not be taking any votes. In fact the board’s agenda did not allow for action on the proposals.
Although there were several points of contention, the primary potential deal breaker was the district’s plan to reduce its annual contribution towards operating expenses to $78,000 versus the city’s request for $178,000. The city planned to contribute $250,000 annually in addition to covering any operating deficits. The district offered to take full responsibility for capital expenses on the building after $100,000 annual contributions from the city and the district. All contributions would be subject to a 3% annual escalation factor. The city continued to maintain that it would be unable to operate the facility without the full district operating expense payment.
The public comment period at mid-meeting allowed Jeff Knight and Steve Ryan, among others, to express their disappointment that they were unable to congratulate the representatives on completing their months-long work, as they had planned to do.
A restroom break seemed to clear the air, and ultimately the suggestion was made that the city might be willing to increase its annual capital improvement payment to $200,000 in exchange for the district meeting the $178,000 annual operating expense request. The council voted unanimously to request staff to provide a new financial analysis based on that proposal, and though the board took no vote, members appeared to be willing to consider the proposal at their next meeting on August 14.
It may be anticipated that tonight’s audience will likely include some citizens hoping to provide their representatives with postponed appreciation and congratulations on achieving a new agreement that will keep “Whitewater’s jewel” open for recreation, education, and fitness for the next six years.
Jack H. Papcke, 85, on Monday, August 7, 2023, shortly after meeting and holding his three-day-old great-grandson, Carson, completed his earthly journey in his home with his family by his side. He was born to Fred and Martha (Arndt) Papcke, in the township of LaGrange, WI, on September 26, 1937, the 7th of 11 children. Jack attended South Heart Prairie Grade School, across the street from the family’s home farm. He graduated with the class of 1955 from Whitewater High School. Jack will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew him.
Jack loved growing up on the farm. It has been said, “You can take the boy off the farm but you can not take the farm out of the boy.” He loved having a large garden and enjoyed its harvest. He enjoyed sharing stories of his youthful years. One story remembered is of them roller skating around the table on the new linoleum while their parents were gone. Needless to say, that did not go well on his folks return.
He was proud to have been part of the WI National Guard. He completed basic training on March 15, 1961. He and Janet Duesterbeck were married on April 15, 1961 and he was reactivated with the WI 32nd Division on October 15, 1961, for the Berlin Crisis. The full unit served time at Ft. Lewis in Tacoma, WA. He enjoyed a trip with VetsRoll to Washington DC with his long-time friend, Jim Wedige in 2017.
Jack enjoyed fishing and hunting. He often fished with his mom. Mom is mom forever and she was in charge of rowing the boat. He took many trips fishing in the north, Canada and North Dakota. He enjoyed hunting locally and going to Babcock deer hunting with the guys.
Jack had a way of making mechanics work. He was part owner of Elkhorn Heating and Sheet Metal for many years. He was also employed by Harkness & Hoxie, Southern Lakes Plumbing & Heating and Expert Plumbing & Heating. He retired in 2000.
Jack is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jan. He is also survived by his son, Jeffrey (Karen) Papcke and daughter, Jacklynn (Tim) Breidenstein. He loved sharing time with his grandchildren Mattie (Josh) Keizer, Macie (Hank) Barrett, Jacob (Dean) Nelson-Papcke, Tessa (Tyler, friend) Papcke and Jorian (Winston, friend) Breidenstein. His smile was always big when the great-grandchildren came to visit. They were Layne and Ayda Keizer, Everly and Carson Barrett and sweet little Nora. He is also survived by his siblings David (Barb) Papcke, Marjorie Roloff, Norman (Anita) Papcke, Doris (LeRoy) DeVries, Darvon (Betty) Papcke, Diane (Floyd Finney) Papcke and many nieces and nephews. He loved sneaking quarters to the little ones and was often called the “Quarter man.”
He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Martha, his stepfather, George Sherman and his siblings Allen Papcke, Marion (Jerry) Harris, Arlene (Robert/Bud) Rowley, Carol (David/Dub) Agen, brother-in-law, Eric Roloff and sister-in-law, Jo (Glenn) Nyboe.
A memorial service will take place on Saturday, August 26, 2023, at Millard Community Covenant Church, N6713 County Road O, Elkhorn, WI, at 11:00 a.m. with Pastors Chris and Sharon Nelson officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will take place at Heart Prairie Cemetery with Military Honors. A celebration of life luncheon will follow in the church Fellowship Hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be shared with VetsRoll, 1777 Gardner St., South Beloit, IL, 61080 OR Aurora at Home Hospice, 116 N. Dodge St., Suite 6, Burlington, WI, 53105 OR Millard Community Covenant Church, N6713 County Rd. O, Elkhorn, WI, 53121.
Haase-Lockwood & Associates Funeral Homes of Elkhorn, WI, is assisting the family in honoring Jack. An online guestbook can be found at www.haaselockwoodfhs.com
Guadalupe “Lupe” Clemons, 68, of Fort Atkinson passed away on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at Fort Memorial Hospital.
Lupe was born on August 28, 1954 in Brownsville, Texas to Diego and Raquel (Chica) Mayans. She grew up with 11 siblings in Brownsville, traveled the country, and finally settled in Wisconsin around 1995. Lupe worked in different fields as a nurse aide, and in food processing industries.
She loved doing hand crafts such as lamps and spinners for family and friends all around. Lupe enjoyed a life of dancing, being around family, and always being with friends. She loved her cats, Oreo and Midnight.
Lupe is survived by siblings, Reynaldo (Carol) Mayans, Ninfa Mayans, Norma Mayans, Raul (Leticia) Mayans, Maria (Anthony) Mayans, Sara (John) Mayans, Gilberto (Irma) Mayans, Elida (Alfonso) Mayans, Gilbert (Ana) Hernandez; God-daughter, Jada Mcleod; many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Diego F. and Raquel Mayans; husband, Steve Clemons; brother, Everaldo F. Mayans; sister, Giselda Garcia; Tio, Juan Guerrero; and Tia, Olivia Villalon.
At Lupe’s request, there will be no formal services.
The family would like to give special thanks to Doctor George and the staff at Fort Memorial Hospital for their exceptional care for Lupe.
Donations can be made in Guadalupe’s “Lupe’s” name to cancer research organizations of one’s choosing.
Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com
Editor’s note: updated on 8/30/23 to correct birthdate.
The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office (NWS) has issued a Heat Advisory for a number of counties, including Jefferson, Rock, and Walworth, for Sunday. On Saturday the advisory was set for 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., but this morning it was moved back to 11 a.m. Whitewater’s heat index is predicted to reach 99 degrees F.
