Lynn Binnie

Spring Recital by Bob and Sarah Gehrenbeck & Guests at Bassett House, May 26

Molly Wanless
Angela Bleke
Nahuel Recoba
Sarah Gehrenbeck (Craig Schreiner – UW-Whitewater)
Bob Gehrenbeck (Craig Schreiner – UW-Whitewater)

The Bassett House Spring Concert Series continues on Sunday, May 26 at 1:00 pm with a concert of vocal music presented by UW-Whitewater faculty Bob and Sarah Gehrenbeck, joined by special guests Nahuel Recoba, Molly Wanless, and Angela Bleke. The three guest singers are former UW-W voice majors who have worked closely with the Gehrenbecks in the past, who have each made their mark on the local music scene and beyond. Recoba recently made his professional debut at The Fireside in Fiddler on the Roof; Wanless will be starting a Masters program in vocal performance at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in the fall, and Bleke recently moved back to Wisconsin after completing a Masters at the University of Louisiana.

The program will consist of classical and musical theatre songs sung in German, Italian, and English, including art songs by Robert Schumann, Gioachino Rossini, and Charles Ives, along with selections from My Fair Lady, Pirates of Penzance, Les Misérables, and Anastasia. A unique feature of the event will be an audience sing-along of Memorial-Day themed music, based on a song by American composer Charles Ives called “The Things our Fathers Loved.”

The concert is a fundraiser sponsored by the Whitewater Federation of Women’s Clubs, with all proceeds going toward the preservation of the historic Bassett House, 708 W. Main St, Whitewater.

The two Gehrenbecks have been a musical duo for 25 years since they first met during a performance of a Bach cantata during their graduate school days at Indiana University (Sarah was the organist, and Bob, the baritone soloist). Since that time, they presented additional recitals together in Indiana and Illinois, and portions of recitals in Whitewater, but the upcoming Bassett House concert will be their first joint recital since the birth of their musically talented sons, Henry and Theo. Both Sarah and Bob hold doctorates in music from Indiana University and both also earned degrees at Boston University prior to their paths finally crossing in Indiana. Sarah is currently music director and organist at First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater, and instructor of piano, organ, and harpsichord; staff accompanist, and vocal coach, at UW-W. Bob is director of choral activities at UW-W and artistic director of the Wisconsin Chamber Choir, based in Madison. In addition to their main pursuits as pianist/organist/coach (Sarah) and conductor (Bob), both are also trained singers, having studied once upon a time with the same teacher, Mary Ann Hart, former chair of the Voice Department at Indiana University.

Obituary: Barbara McKinney, 72, of Minot, ND

Barbara McKinney, 72, Minot, ND, left this world peacefully on Monday, May 13, 2024. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandma, great granny, sister, aunt, and friend.

Barbara Ann Riley was born on November 28, 1951 to Theresa Egnoski Riley in Madison, Wisconsin. After graduating from Whitewater High School she married Larry McKinney on December 12, 1970. The two made their first home on the Air Force Base in Minot, North Dakota where Larry served for 20 years. Together they raised two daughters, Michelle and Kelly. Following Larry’s military retirement the family moved into their home in Minot. Barb and Larry were married 50 years prior to Larry’s passing on August 7, 2021.

In the ’70s and ’80s Barb worked on the Minot Air Force Base as a contractor, painting and remodeling base housing. In 1988 she began working at Hardee’s North in Minot. She retired from Hardee’s in 2023 after 35 years of service. Barb made many good friends over the years and she loved to chat especially if it was about fishing or football. She always knew if the fish were biting at Lake Darling.

Barb was a devoted mother, grandma, and recently a great-granny. If you ever spent any time with Barb you know that she was so proud of her daughters, grandkids, and her new identical twin great-granddaughters; she was always eager to share stories and pictures! Barb had many hobbies over the years including throwing darts, quilting, bunko, she loved a good western, she was always up for a game of poker with her family or a fun trip to the casino. During the summer you could always find Barb at the lake and on winter Sundays you would find her cheering on her Green Bay Packers. Go-Pack-Go!

Her loving family includes: daughters, Michelle (Paul) Schwegler, Maricopa AZ and Kelly (Michael) Duchsherer, Minot ND; grandchildren, Seth (Alyssa) Gehring, Sarah Schwegler and Karter Duchsherer; great-granddaughters, Avery and Hazel Gehring; former son-in-law, Dennis (Annie) Gehring, and their children, Braden (Emily) Lindquist and Kade Lindquist; siblings, Gladys Hildebrandt, Elsie Beaver, Michael (Kathy) Riley, Richard (Mary) Riley; brothers-in-law, Terry (Sandy) McKinney, Harry McKinney and Dennis McKinney; sisters-in-law, Sherry Schreiner and Denise Schwab; Barb’s chosen family, William and Barbara Kay, the entire Horn family and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry; mother, Theresa Riley; siblings, Rose White, David Riley, Betty Franz, Gary Riley, Ronald Riley and Terry Riley; parents-in-law, Harvey and Emma Nell McKinney; sister-in-law, Regina McKinney.

Memorial Service: Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at First Lutheran Church, Minot.
Interment: Rosehill Memorial Park, Minot, ND.  

The service will be livestreamed for the public to view and can be accessed by going to Thompson-Larson Funeral Home’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@thompson-larsonfuneralhome3198

Obituary: Margo Ann Crummey, 77, of Cape Coral, FL

JULY 11, 1946 – MAY 13, 2024

Margo Ann Crummey, 77, a resident of Cape Coral, FL for the past 10 years, formerly of Whitewater, WI, passed away Monday, May 13, 2024 in Fort Myers, FL. She was born July 11, 1946 in Manitowoc, WI to William and Margaret Schramm, now deceased.

Margo was John’s 1st Mate all through life, most notably on their 27 month sailboat adventure from Lake Michigan to Venezuela and return.  They were married August 1, 1970 for 54 years.  Margo graduated from UW Whitewater, and was employed there for the remainder of her working career.  She was always active in some version of an exercise class and also an avid reader.  After minor health issues and during carpal tunnel surgery, her body shut down and was unable to recover after two weeks of intensive medical treatment.  Her heart said no more.  She will be missed by all who crossed her path from Florida to Wisconsin and across the seas.

She is survived by her loving husband, John Crummey; daughter, Aimee Crummey (Jeffrey Christensen) of Pewaukee, WI’ as well as brothers, Randall Schramm and William Schramm.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Details to be announced via www.MullinsMemorial.com.

Friends are invited to send condolences via the online guest book which can be found at www.MullinsMemorial.com.

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.

WHS STEAM Faire Photo Gallery

The WUSD Robotics Booster Club hosted the first annual STEAM Faire at Whitewater High School on May 18. The event was free and open to the public and was designed to say thank you to the community for the support it has already offered the robotics programs in the school district. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The event featured over 30 exhibitors.

Photos are courtesy of Tom Ganser.

Local Students Graduate from UW-Milwaukee

The following individuals from our area are among the 2,480 prospective candidates for degree attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee commencement exercises Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Milwaukee.

UWM is the second largest university in the State of Wisconsin, with over 22,900 undergraduate and graduate students.

Whitewater, WI

 Nicole Tomomitsu, Bachelor of Science, School of Biomedical Sciences & Health Care Administration
 Emma Van Daele, Bachelor of Science, School of Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology

Call for Photography!

The Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) invites photographers of all levels to submit their photography for consideration in the 15th Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition.

The gallery exhibit will be held during the month of July, 2024 at the WAA’s Cultural Arts Center Gallery. The photographs in the exhibit will be displayed on the walls of the gallery and, concurrently, in an online virtual exhibit that will appear at the WAA website.

New this year: a free commemorative PDF catalog containing all of the photographs chosen for the exhibit will be produced and made available for download.

All are welcome to enter. Submissions must be received no later than Wednesday, May 29 and must include 1) a completed online entry form, 2) entry fee of $35 ($30 for current WAA members), and 3) emailed digital copies of entered photos. The entry includes submission of up to four photographs. Complete information, along with the online entry form, key dates, and rules is located at www.whitewaterarts.org/fran-achen-2024

Contacts

Awards

  • First Place Award: ($150)
  • Second Place Award: ($125)
  • Third Place Award: ($100)
  • Viewer Choice Award: ($75)
  • Honorable Mention Certificates

Key Dates

  • Entries, fees, and image files due: Wednesday, May 29, 2024
  • Notice of acceptance: Wednesday, June 5, 2024
  • Gallery exhibit Dates: July 5 – 28, 2024
  • Reception and awards presentation: Sunday, July 7, 2024 ( 1pm – 4 pm), awards at 2 pm
  • Viewers’ Choice Award Announcement: Sunday, July 28

Entry Fees

  • $30 for current WAA members, $35 for non-members
  • Fee includes up to 4 photographs
  • An entrant may optionally enter 2 additional photographs (making a total of 6) for an additional fee of $20
  • Photographs must receive an acceptance to be included in the exhibit.

Entry Process

An opening reception featuring the presentation of awards will be held Sunday, July 7 at 1:00 P.M. at the Cultural Arts Center where light refreshments will be served. Voting for Viewers’ Choice will continue throughout the run of the exhibit and its winner will be announced Sunday, July 28.

Jeff McDonald, the exhibit’s 10-year chair and a longtime WAA board member, said “The Fran Achen exhibition is an annual highlight. Fran Achen was a revered member of the community and an exceptional photographer. His collection of images continues to inspire. This exhibit, named in his honor, is an excellent opportunity to showcase the outstanding work created by both established and aspiring area photographers. The participation and support of many skilled artists from all over southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois is greatly appreciated and is the reason for this program’s continued success. Each year brings a new crop of inspired work.”

Admission to the exhibit and its reception are free of charge, open to the public, and all are invited. The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:00 P.M. (Noon) to 4:00 P.M. and the website is open 24/7. The exhibit runs from Friday, July 5 through Sunday, July 28.

The Whitewater Arts Alliance believes art plays a significant role in transforming the cultural fabric. It brings people together, fosters dialogue and reflection, and creates a sense of pride and ownership.

UW-La Crosse and UW-W Headed To NCAA Baseball Super Regionals in Whitewater


Editor’s note: The following announcement appears in the WIAC website.

MADISON, Wis.–University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater will participate in the Super Regional round of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship after winning regional finals on May 19.

UW-La Crosse (35-14) beat Coe College (Iowa) 9-7 in the La Crosse Regional, while UW-Whitewater (38-8) posted a 6-4 triumph over Centre College (Ky.) in the Whitewater Regional. The conference duo will meet in a best-of-three Super Regional series in Whitewater May 24-25, with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series.

UW-La Crosse posted a 19-2 triumph over Bethel University (Minn.) in its first regional contest, and dropped a 12-11, 10-inning decision to Coe College (Iowa). The Eagles rebounded with an 18-15 win over Benedictine University (Ill.) and defeated Coe 18-11 to setup a winner-take-all rematch with the Kohawks.

UW-Whitewater opened regional action with a 9-2 win over Crown College (Minn.) and followed with a 20-3 victory over California Lutheran University to advance to the regional final.

Against Centre (36-13), the Warhawks got on the board in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Sam Paden.

Centre took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning on a two-run single, but UW-Whitewater quickly tied the game in bottom of the inning on a run-scoring single by Paden.

Centre grabbed a 4-2 advantage in the fifth, and the Warhawks took the lead in seventh on Paden’s double down the leftfield line that scored Andy Thies, who led off the inning with a walk. Darryl Jackson’s single to center field scored Paden, and Matt Scolan hit a deep two-run home run to right field.

Cade Hensen earned the win to improve to 4-0 on the season, while Jack Hagen worked the ninth inning for his first collegiate save.

In the clinching game against Coe (31-16), the Kohawks took a 2-0 lead in in the top of the first inning on a two-run single.

UW-La Crosse countered in the bottom of the inning on a RBI single by George Seaman and Anthony Vivian’s two-run home run.

The Eagles extended their advantage to 4-2 in the fifth inning on a solo home run from Nate Witte.

In the seventh, Mac Born had a run scoring single and was followed by Seaman’s three-run home run to right field for an 8-2 lead.

Coe scored five runs on one hit, three walks and three hit batsman in the eighth inning to get within 8-7.

The Eagles added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning on Jack Moran’s run scoring double to right center.

Isaiah Katz worked 7.1 innings to secure the win and improve to 7-5 on the year, while Tyler Schmitt recorded his first save of the season after pitching the final 1.2 innings.

Editor’s note: The bracket, which has not been completed yet as of the time of this posting, may be found here.

Twelve to represent UW-W at NCAA Track and Field Championships

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will be represented by 12 student-athletes at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week. The championship meet is slated to run Thursday-Saturday, May 23-25, at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The following UW-Whitewater student-athletes are outdoor national qualifiers for 2024:

Justin Krause of Whitewater, WI (53190), who is majoring in Business Administration MBA.

Gunner Schlender of Whitewater, WI (53190), who is majoring in Physical Education.

Two Warhawk men qualified in two events. Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) boasts the top times in Division III in the 5,000-meter run and 3000-meter steeplechase. Patzka will look to defend his 2023 national title in the steeplechase. A three-time All-American in the event, Patzka enters the championship with the top time in Division III by more than six seconds. In the 5,000, he will be joined by teammate Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion), the ninth seed, in the event. Schlender will also compete in the 10,000-meter run where he enters the championship with the 11th-fastest time in the nation this season. He captured bronze in the 10K a year ago.

Shelvin Garrett II (Beloit, Wis./Memorial) and Jordan Hall (Elkhorn, Wis./Elkhorn) both qualified in the triple jump. Garrett II enters as the number three seed while Hall is seeded 22nd. Garrett II is a two-time All-American in the event and was the 2023 runner-up at the national championship meet.

Justin Krause (Ixonia, Wis./Pewaukee) will look to add to his 2022 All-America honor in the 1500 this season. He enters as the 12th seed.

Ben Bojar (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) earned a spot in the 100-meter dash with his time of 10.52 seconds, good for a tie for 20th among competitors entering the meet.

Tina Shelton (Janesville, Wis./Parker) will lead the UWW women as a qualifier in multiple events. Shelton’s 100-meter dash time is tied for fourth-best in the nation this season. She will also compete in the 200-meter dash where she enters as the 16th seed. Shelton claimed All-America honors in both events last season after finishing fifth and seventh respectively.

Shelton will also run the second leg on the Warhawks’ 4×100 squad that comes in as the sixth seed. Hannah Bilodeau (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) will lead off the foursome followed by Shelton and Jacqueline Kornowski (Green Bay, Wis./Preble). Danielle Pouska (Algonquin, IL/Jacobs) will anchor the combination.

Gracie Holland (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) has qualified in her signature event, the pole vault. She enters the championship as the fourth seed. Holland is a two-time All-American in the event. She finished as the runner-up in 2022 and was fourth a year ago. Kenni Czarnecki (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) will represent UWW in the throws. She is the 11th seed in the hammer throw field.

Fans can watch the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on ncaa.com. Selections and live results are available here.

Obituary: Mary Ketterhagen, 83

Our dear mother, Mary Ketterhagen, sadly passed away on May 17, 2024. She was a wonderful mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother who was always there when we needed her, offering support, wisdom, and an abundance of love. Her beauty on the inside and out along with her loving, generous nature will be missed more than words can say. Mary was born in Marshfield, WI on May 20, 1940, and lived in her parents’ hometown of Milladore, WI as a baby before the family moved to Madison, WI. She attended Emerson Grade School and St. Bernard’s Catholic Grade School on Madison’s east side. She then went to Madison East High School for one year and graduated from Monona Grove High School in 1958.

After high school, Mary moved to Whitewater, WI to attend school at UW-Whitewater studying to become a biology teacher. It was here that she met her future husband, Joseph Ketterhagen. They were married on December 29, 1962, and had three children together. She was an amazing homemaker, cook, wife, and mother. She had a great love of gardening and nature, loved traveling with her husband Joe throughout the U.S., and had a passion for shopping, decorating, and her beautiful clothing. The memories of Mary’s delightfully sly sense of humor will bring a smile to our faces eternally.  She was an active member of St. Patrick Catholic Parish and a member of The Christian Mothers. In 2022 she moved to Sun Prairie, WI and was a resident at Talamore Senior Living. We wish to thank the direct care providers there for the loving and compassionate care they gave Mary.

She is preceded in death by her mother Elizabeth (Hardina) Feit, her father Walter Feit, and her husband Joseph Ketterhagen. She is survived by her sister Kathleen Ihland of Madison, WI, her three children, Kurt (Kris) Ketterhagen of Whitewater, WI, Julie (Michael) Ketterhagen of Milwaukee, WI, and Ted (David) Ketterhagen of Madison, WI, and her three granddaughters, Megan Ketterhagen of San Diego, CA, Kara Ketterhagen (fiancé Sean Thrun) of Chicago, IL, and Ali Ketterhagen of Dallas, TX.

A Christian Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, May 23 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1225 W Main Street in Whitewater, WI with a reception to follow at 841 Brewhouse. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to The Make-a-Wish Foundation in her name.

Online Condolences may be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com