Lynn Binnie

Arthur “Art” Speerbrecher, 75, of Whitewater passed away on Sunday, November 10, 2019.

Arthur “Art” Speerbrecher, 75, Whitewater passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at his home surrounded by his family.

Art was born on January 19, 1944 in Milwaukee, WI to Robert and Edith (Seignemartin) Speerbrecher. He graduated from Greendale High School. Art served his country in the United States Coast Guard from 1963-1967. On June 1, 1968 he married Susie Rudolph and they started their life in East Troy, WI. Art was employed with UPS and later with JC Penney as a maintenance supervisor in their distribution centers. He was a member and past president of the Tichigan and Whitewater Lions Club. Art enjoyed hunting and working with his dogs. He also liked sailing, swimming, canoeing and being outdoors. Family was very important to Art and he made time to be with them.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years Susie of Whitewater; children Tammy (Calvin) Tomomitsu, Whitewater, Mark (Tracy) Speerbrecher, Whitewater; grandchildren Nicole, Zach and CJ Tomomitsu and Taylor Speerbrecher; sisters Gretchen (David) Boyer, West Allis, WI and Edie Mae (Jon) Wells of Garnar, NC. and many nieces, nephews and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters Robin Roderick and Nancy Millard.

A Memorial Service with military rites will be held on Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. at First English Lutheran Church, 401 W. Main St. Whitewater, WI 53190. Friends may call at the church from 2:00 p.m. until the time of the service.

“Despite risks, Wisconsin hemp industry taking root:” Newly Arrived Rural Whitewater Farmer Has 27 Acres

From a Janesville Gazette article picked up by the Bradenton (FL) Herald, 11/9/19

You’d think Jonathan Baker would have been California dreaming on a late October day.

After all, several acres of Baker’s hemp crop on a rural Whitewater hillside were in limbo. Baker was awaiting testing to learn whether a late October snowfall had damaged or destroyed hemp still in a field just east of the Koshkonong hills.

Baker, 29, moved back to Fort Atkinson this year after spending a decade in northern California, where he’d built a life as a cannabis activist and small-scale grower of legal cannabis strains for therapeutic use. Last week, Baker’s hemp near Whitewater was harvest ready. Then came the first breath of Wisconsin winter, about a month earlier than usual.

For the full article, click here: https://www.bradenton.com/news/business/article237002414.html

Historical Society Presents “Whitewater Recollects: Grocery Stores,” Sun., 11/17

Did you know that Whitewater once had multiple grocery stores? Did you know that Whitewater
residents used to do their grocery shopping downtown? The Whitewater Historical Society is
hosting a panel-led discussion about Whitewater’s grocery stores back in the “good old days.”
Attendees will hear reminiscences from a panel of long-time Whitewater residents, but everyone
will be able to share their stories and memories of Whitewater grocery stores from the 1930s to
the ‘70s. And those of us whose memories aren’t so long will have a chance to learn about the
days when Whitewater wasn’t a one-grocery town.


The program will be held on Sunday, November 17, 2019 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm at the Cravath
Lakefront Community Center at 341 S. Fremont Street, Whitewater, WI. Come reminisce with us – or learn what you missed! Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.


For more information, contact Linda Robinson (262) 473-3298, or email us at
linrob73@gmail.com or whitewaterwihistoricalsociety@gmail.com

League of Women Voters Holiday Dinner, Public Welcome; Making Democracy Work Award Winner Announced

The League of Women Voters, Whitewater Area will hold the annual Holiday Dinner on Sunday, December 1, 2019. Please join us as we celebrate the honor bestowed on the winner of the 2019 Making Democracy Work award at the Holiday Dinner. This will be the 11th year for the presentation of the award.

The winner of the award for Making Democracy Work is Kristine Zaballos, longtime Whitewater resident, who has been instrumental in making improvements in services provided for residents in need. In addition, Kristine is a founder of the City Market, a year-round effort to bring food and the community together!

The dinner will be held at 841 Brew House on Milwaukee Street. Cash Bar begins at 5:00 p.m. followed by dinner and entertainment; the presentation of the MDW award will be at 6:30 p.m. Reservations may be made using the registration form found in the November Newsletter of the League of Women Voters. Seating is limited so reserve early. Cost of the dinner is $20 per person. Access to the form can be found at the website of the local league: whitewaterlwv.org. Questions: please call 262-581-5411.

Come join us to celebrate the occasion with the 11th award winning recipient of the Making Democracy Work award. The deadline for reservations is November 18, 2019. Mark your calendars for this upcoming event!

Whitewater faces uncertainty from potential Palmyra-Eagle schools dissolution

For an article from The Gazette on 11/10/19 titled, “Whitewater faces uncertainty from potential Palmyra-Eagle schools dissolution, click here.

Reporting on the views from Palmyra

On Thurs., 11/7 approximately one hundred residents of the Palmyra-Eagle School District attended the first of several meetings with a state-appointed board that is tasked with deciding by January 15 whether to dissolve the district. Nearly all of those who spoke were opposed to dissolution. Residents of the town and village of Eagle voted 74% in favor of dissolution in the recent advisory referendum, but 73% of the town and village of Palmyra residents voted to keep the district open. The School Board claims that after a referendum failed in April, keeping the schools open for the 2020-21 school year would cause a negative fund balance.

For an article from the Wisconsin State Journal, “I Feel I have Been Let Down,” click here.

For an article from the Daily Jefferson County Union, “Palmyra Residents Voice Frustrations Over School Dissolving,” click here.

For an article from WUWM, “Advisory Vote on Fate of Palmyra-Eagle School District Shows Divided Community,” click here.

3 WHS Juniors Selected to Attend Badger Girls State

Congratulations Kacie Carollo, Catherine Skindingsrude, and Brianna Staebler for being selected by the Whitewater High School faculty to attend Badger Girls State (BGS) in 2020!!  BGS is a program coordinated by the American Legion Auxiliary to train outstanding junior girls in the science of government and to strengthen their leadership skills.  It will take place June 21 – 26, 2020 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.  Thank you to the Whitewater American Legion, Rotary Club, & Breakfast Kiwanis Club for sponsoring three girls from Whitewater High School each year!!

Einer Ervin Scheuerman, 96, Whitewater, passed away on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.

Einer Ervin Scheuerman, 96, Whitewater, formerly of Racine, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at his home at Blackhawk Manor in Whitewater.

Einer was born on September 14, 1923 in Racine, WI to John and Mabel (Buetow) Scheuerman. He married Mildred Walters on May 4, 1946. She preceded him in death on September 24, 2009. Einer served his country in the United States Army and was stationed in northern France during World War II. He worked for Walker Manufacturing in Racine. In 1978 Einer and Mildred moved to Whitewater Lake where they enjoyed many years of retirement. He liked flower gardening, music and traveling. Einer enjoyed recounting memories of their travels, and he loved being around young people.

He is survived by his children Louise (Chris) Gioe, Frankenmuth, MI, Jill (Dennis) Kirr, Cumming, GA, John (Steven Keller) Scheuerman, Emeryville, CA; daughter-in-law Cheryl Zastrow, Mukwonago, WI; grandchildren Deborah (J. David) Duke, Marcus (Melisse) Gioe, Adam (Tara) Scheuerman, Ryan (Hannah Weston) Scheuerman; 8 great-grandsons; sisters Virginia Dietel, Racine, WI and Rose Stilo, Easley, SC. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, son Greg Scheuerman, grandson Daniel Zirbel; sisters Caroline Fehlberg and Shirley Koch; brothers Edward and Milan Scheuerman.

Funeral Services will be held on Monday, November 11, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at the First English Lutheran Church, 401 W. Main St. Whitewater, WI 53190. Burial will follow at the West Lawn Memorial Park in Racine, WI.

Friends may call at the church on Monday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service.

As an expression of sympathy you may wish to consider memorials to the Janesville Rotary Botanical Gardens.

The Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater is assisting the family, www.nitardyfuneralhome.com.

“Trash Talk: Recycling in Our Communities” – LWV Program, Thurs., 11/21

Join the League of Women Voters-Whitewater Area on Thurs., November 21 at 6:30 pm at the Whitewater Municipal Building, 312 W. Whitewater Street, when we talk trash with representatives from the University, City of Whitewater, and John’s Disposal. Come ready to learn the 6 R’s of Sustainability: rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and replace and how you can implement one or more of these practices to help the environment. Do you have a question about what is recyclable and what isn’t? Now’s your chance to ask it and have it answered by the experts.

The League has a long history with waste management. Policy work on solid waste began in 1971 when Leagues studied solid waste disposal and then turned their attention to national policy on reuse, reclamation and recycling.

Our program will be accompanied by an exhibit in the lobby of the Irvin L. Young Library during the month of November.

WE Energies Proposing $370 million natural gas facilities project near Whitewater and Ixonia

WE Energies has requested approval from the WI Public Service Commission to build liquefied natural gas peaking facilities near Whitewater and Ixonia. WE stated that it has not selected specific sites for the two plants, but said one would likely be in Bluff Creek, just southeast of Whitewater.

The plants would take delivery of natural gas by existing pipelines, cool it to -260 degrees F to liquefy it and then store it. The gas would then be heated to vaporize it and be used in the distribution system during high demand periods, often in winter. WE plans to begin construction in late 2020 and place the facilities into service in 2023 or 2024.

For the story in the BizTimes (Milwaukee), click here: https://biztimes.com/370-million-we-energies-project-would-build-natural-gas-facilities-near-ixonia-whitewater/

Helen Johnson, 94, of Lake Geneva passed away on September 16, 2019.

Helen Johnson, 94, of Lake Geneva passed away on Monday, September 16, 2019 at Geneva Lakes Manor.

Helen was born on July 14, 1925 in Chicago to Stanley and Jeanette (Kalas) Kodak. She attended Catholic school. On September 21, 1959 Helen married Edward Johnson.

Helen was an avid Chicago sports fan of the Cubs, Bears and the Bulls. She enjoyed bingo, dancing and music and would oftentimes be found in her chair doing the “jitterbug.”

Helen is survived by her children, Patti (Dale) Ames, Ed (Mindy Musgrove) Johnson, Helen Lower, Candace (Joe) Swenson, Rae Johnson; grandchildren, Cheryl Ganek, Michael Modaff, Sara Fratzke, Molly (Jerry) Riggs, CarrieAnn (Ryan) Stefanelli, Justin Ames, Jeffeory (Cara) Stuenzi, Terrence Miller, Payton Johnson, Paxton Johnson, Paige Johnson, Brielle Johnson, Gabrielle Johnson; great-grandchildren, Trevor Modaff, Amber, Candace Modaff, Mikey Modaff, Mason Riggs, Madeline Riggs, McKenna Riggs, Caden Stefanelli, Enzo Stefanelli, Bain Flyte; and many other relatives.

She is preceded in death by parents, Stanley and Jeanette Kodak; husband, Edward Johnson; brothers, James Kodak, Raymond Kodak; and sisters, Irene Davis and Delphine Kodak.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will take place on November 16, 2019 at noon at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1225 W Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190. A visitation will take place from 10 a.m. until the time of the Mass.

Nitardy funeral home is assisting the family with arrangements.

www.nitardyfuneralhome.com