Lynn Binnie

Ladies Tea A Rousing Success


This past Sunday a fun and charming “Ladies and Young Ladies Tea” was held at Whitewater’s beautiful Bassett house. Highlights included the elegant table settings and many colorful hats. Attendees played tea party games while enjoying delicious sandwiches and pastries served by women from the Delta Zeta Sorority.

The Whitewater Federation of Women’s Clubs puts on the annual event to raise funds for the preservation of the historic Bassett House. The next fundraiser for the group is a Spring Concert to be held at the end of May. For more information, please visit the website: www.bassetthousewww.org.

Photos courtesy Tom Ganser.

WHS Choir Students Perform at Prairie Village

Five Whitewater High School Choir students performed at Prairie Village in Whitewater on Monday, April 22nd. The students sang art songs as well as musical theater selections. Singers included Meridyth Cashion, Charlotte Hajewski, Brooke Mason, Lauren Rollette, and Alex Sullivan. Congratulations on a fine performance! 

Obituary: Florence H. Pape, 105

Florence H. Pape, age 105, of Whitewater and longtime resident of Little Prairie, WI passed away on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at Hearthstone Memory Care in Whitewater.

Florence was born on October 5, 1918 in the Town of Eagle, WI the youngest child of Frederick and Harriet (Watson) Kuhl. She grew up in the village of Little Prairie and attended high school in Milwaukee while living with her sister, Edith. After completing her schooling, Florence was united in marriage to Arthur E. Pape and the two were blessed with a son, Robert. The family moved around for Arthur’s work, mostly in the Midwest. The family eventually moved to Little Prairie, WI where Florence grew up. Florence remained in the Little Prairie area for the vast majority of her years. She enjoyed nature and the rural country where she lived. She liked to go for walks in the woods, bird-watch, and hunt for mushrooms. The most important thing in Florence’s life was her family. She was a loving wife and mother and she will be sincerely missed by those she leaves behind.

She is survived by her son Robert (Esty) Pape of Tucson, AZ and a number of nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her dear husband, Arthur E. Pape and her 5 siblings, Edith, Floyd, Howard, Glenn, and Earl.

Per Florence’s wishes, no formal services will be held.

Gibson Family Funeral Homes of Eagle and Palmyra, WI is serving the family. To place an online condolence please visit gibsonfuneral.com

Bringing a Hero Home: Honor in the Air Documentary on Sat.

A free documentary screening Honor in the Air is scheduled for Saturday, May 4 @ 10:30 a.m., Hoard Historical Museum, 401 Whitewater Avenue, Fort Atkinson.

FILM SYNOPSIS

This documentary is a story of inspiration, dedication, valor and love, following the life of one soldier while recognizing an entire generation.

As the 50th anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam draws near and our nation is called to remember an incredibly unpopular war, we bring you the story of a humble man who became a decorated aviator and hero. Scott served five tours of duty during the Vietnam war as an Army helicopter pilot, first flying slicks and later, gunships.

Scott’s skills, daring, and decorations stand as a testament to his valor and include 136 documented Air Medals, Vietnam Republic Medals, Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, and Distinguished Flying Crosses, all with oak leaf clusters. He and a fellow Top Tiger pilot, Howard M. King, developed a low approach autorotation technique to counter tail rotor failure and taught it to other pilots in their unit. The army still teaches this technique to all helicopter pilots in their standard training today.​

It was while in Vietnam that Scott met, fell in love with, and married his wife, Du Duong “Tess”. Scott went to war because he loved his country, the United States of America. During his five tours of duty, he fell in love with Vietnam, too. Scott survived five tours of active duty in Vietnam only to be killed by a suicidal drunk driver while on his way from his home in Wisconsin to the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. To those who knew him, his legacy lives on.

Further information about the project may be found below and here.

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Penny Alwin.

Richmond UMC Rummage & Bake Sale – Fri. & Sat.

A Banner Service: Garage Sale Ads

As a result of a reader’s comment that it’s hard to find garage sales in Whitewater now that we no longer have a weekly shopper, the Banner staff agreed to begin a complimentary “consolidated” garage sale posting that will be published by Thursday morning for the upcoming weekend’s sales. This announcement will only be for garage sales (a sale of miscellaneous household goods, often held in the garage or front yard of someone’s house) in the city and school district boundaries. We will not be accepting, for example, ads for cars or other items that are not part of a scheduled garage sale. There will be a limit of three times per year for a particular property. 

Those wishing to place a notice must send the information to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com by Wednesday at 6 p.m. You may include a brief description of the items that are for sale, the hours and days of the sale, and of course your address. A few photos may also be included if desired; we prefer jpg format if possible.

FFA Culver’s Night Today at Culver’s from 4 PM to 8 PM – Also Scoops of Thanks Day for $1

Update: Today is Culver’s annual scoop of Thanks Day! You can purchase a single scoop today for just $1, and Culvers then donates those single dollars back to our FFA chapter, so it’s a great way to help yourself and your local chapter at the same time. Tonight is also an FFA night at Culvers so they will be contributing a portion of their proceeds from 4-8pm to our chapter as well. #TheWhippetWay #1Family

This Thursday on May 2nd from 4-8 PM, will be the annual FFA Culver’s Night. How it works is FFA members volunteer to help serve food to hungry customers and the FFA gets a portion of all proceeds generated that night. Hope you can come and help support your local FFA. Thank you.

Editor’s note: The above announcement was submitted by Quinlan McCarthy.

Over 1500 Set to Graduate at UW-W Spring Commencement

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will celebrate the achievements of its graduates on Saturday, May 11, and Tuesday, May 14, as proud families and friends gather for the 2024 spring commencement ceremonies on the Whitewater and Rock County campuses.

On the university’s Whitewater campus, a total of 1,437 May and August graduates will cross the stage on May 11 to receive their degrees. The morning ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m., recognizes 613 undergraduate and 151 graduate students from the College of Arts and Communication, the College of Business and Economics and the School of Graduate Studies.

The afternoon ceremony begins at 3 p.m. and recognizes 516 undergraduate students and 152 graduate students from the College of Education and Professional Studies, the College of Integrated Studies, the College of Letters and Sciences, and the School of Graduate Studies. An additional five degrees are not specific to any college. The ceremonies, which last approximately two hours each, will be held in the Kachel Fieldhouse at the Williams Center.

Included in the graduates crossing the stage on May 11 will be 102 students who are veterans, 9 international students and 200 nontraditional undergraduate students, defined as undergraduate students who are 25 years of age or older. In addition, 187 self-identified students with disabilities will receive degrees.

Five graduates of the university’s LIFE Program, which provides a complete college experience for young adults between the ages of 18-25 who have an intellectual disability, will cross the stage during the afternoon program — including one who is earning an advanced certificate.

The commencement speaker for the morning ceremony on the Whitewater campus is Scott Wrobbel, who earned a BBA in accounting in 1980 and enjoyed a long career at Arthur Andersen and Deloitte before serving on the board of directors of American Family Insurance, Johnson Financial Group and Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management and holding board and leadership roles at the Children’s Wisconsin Foundation, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, and the Andalusia Education Foundation.

The commencement speaker for the afternoon ceremony on the Whitewater campus is Crystal McClain, who earned a B.A. in social work in 2003 before earning a master’s degree in social work, serving as a state-certified advanced practicing social worker, and in 2010 establishing Revive Youth & Family Services, which specializes in serving at-risk youth through four group homes and one foster home, where she remains the owner and chief executive officer. In 2018, the Milwaukee Business Journal named McClain to its 40 Under 40 list.

The student speaker for the morning ceremony is Dylan Riley. Riley, who is graduating in just three years with a BBA in finance and a minor in political science, studied abroad for a semester through the American University of Rome, Italy. He will be returning to campus in the fall to pursue an MBA.

The student speaker for the afternoon ceremony is Ty Jahnke. Jahnke, who first earned his B.S. in human performance in 2023, and is graduating with a Master of Science in Applied Kinesiology, aspires to a career in collegiate coaching, but will first answer a call of duty in the military.

The commencement ceremonies on the Whitewater campus will be broadcast live online by UWW-TV, the university television station.

The graduation ceremony for more than 88 College of Integrated Studies students at UW-Whitewater at Rock County will be held on Tuesday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium of the Wells Cultural Center.

The commencement speaker is Nick Dimassis, director of the Beloit Public Library.

The student speaker is Cassandra Breyman, from Janesville, who is earning her AAS and is enrolled in the online B.S. in social work on the Whitewater campus.

During the ceremony, the Outstanding Alumni Award will be presented to Lori Stottler, the clerk-treasurer of the City of Janesville. She earned associate degrees in arts and sciences and political science from the Rock County campus in 2016.

The Excellence in Teaching Awards and the faculty and staff who are retiring will also be announced at the Rock County campus ceremony.

Visit uww.edu/commencement for more information about UW-Whitewater’s commencement ceremonies.

Obituary: Keith Leonard Thayer, 66 (Update: Luncheon location corrected)

Update 5/1/24 @ 4:50 p.m.: The location for the luncheon has been corrected.

Keith Leonard Thayer found peace on April 27, 2024, at home after a courageous three-year battle with Stage 4 prostate cancer that metastasized into his bones; he later developed stage 1 lung cancer.

He was born to Leonard and Marion Thayer on November 25th, 1957. Keith grew up in Lima Center and was from the wrong side of the track. Marcie, his future wife, walked down daily after they met.

Keith and Marcie Mulrooney were married on June 21st, 1980, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Milton, WI. They had celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary.

Although he did not graduate from high school, he was gifted with common sense. He earned his GED at age 45. In his younger days, Keith played Men’s and Coed softball. He coached Marcie’s Women’s Softball Team (1 year was enough). Keith enjoyed woodworking and made rocking chairs for nieces and nephews. He remodeled his home. Keith and Marcie enjoyed playing euchre and belonged to a card club. Keith was a Good Samaritan, changing your flat tire or pushing you out of the ditch. Keith loved his family and revered his parents. He enjoyed the elderly and assisted them when he could. He liked to read and watch westerns. He was a great cook and made the best gravy in the world. Keith never passed a dog without scritching it. He water skied and snow skied until his health declined. He never complained about his pain; he just bulled on. He was an avid pheasant hunter and trained his dogs to be excellent hunters. He loved to travel and had fond memories of a trip to Plentywood, MT pheasant hunting with his father, brother, brothers-in-law, other family and friends and his dog Logan.

Keith worked various construction and printing jobs. At his last job, he operated a C&C machine for Wood Products.

Keith is survived by his wife, Marcie, his brother Gary (Susan), sisters Kay (Mike Coleman), Jan (Ralph Wussow), and Chris (Bob Ide). His in-laws include Tess Mulrooney (Paul Eastwood), Pam (Jim Kennedy), Dave (Holly) Mulrooney. He had many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great greats. His four goddaughters: Shella Thompson, Cassandra Anderson, Shannon Kennedy, and Alicia Markham. Keith is further survived by his dogs Willie and Waylon.

He was predeceased by his parents, Leonard and Marion, in-laws, Ed and Joy Mulrooney, sister Joyce and brother-in-law Frank Los. He was further predeceased by his dogs Whitefoot, Ginger, MacGregor, Logan, Sullivan, and Kolby.

Special thanks to Dr. Jeffrey McGuire; Dr. James Runo; Dr. Michael Eastman, Dana and the staff at Johnson Creek UW Cancer Center; and the UW Health care team. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the UW Health Pulmonary Unit, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, Agrace Hospice, or the Humane Society of Jefferson County.

Visitation is taking place at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1225 W. Main Street in Whitewater on Friday, May 10 from 10 to 12, with the service immediately following. A luncheon will be served at the Community Room at Blackhawk Manor, 1155 W. Blackhawk Dr., Whitewater, providing more time for gathering after the service.

Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

WHS Students Perform at WSMA State Solo/Ensemble Festival

Congratulations to the WHS Music students who performed at the WSMA [Wisconsin School Music Association] State Solo/Ensemble Festival on the UW-Whitewater Campus last Saturday! Nineteen events received a 1st rating and eight events received a 2nd rating. Results can be found here  Congratulations to all students who made it to State! 

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Karen Tordera.

Obituary: Samuel Clifford Martino, 85, of DeForest

Editor’s note: A Royal Purple article, “Impactful newspaper adviser passes,” regarding Mr. Martino may be found here.

Samuel Clifford Martino

February 5, 1939 — April 20, 2024

DeForest- Sam Martino, 85, passed away on April 20, 2024 from a heart attack while mowing the lawn of his home in DeForest, WI. He was born in Clarksburg, W.Va., the son of Frank and Flora Ann Spino Martino.

Sam was a passionate, award-winning journalist with a love of story-telling that started standing on a street corner in Dearborn, MI hawking newspapers and ended with tweeting. He began his reporting career in high school with the Dearborn Guide and Detroit Times. He received a scholarship to attend Michigan State University where he studied journalism and was state editor for the Lansing State Journal. Following completion of his journalism degree in 1962, he continued the work he began in college with the Associated Press and United Press International (UPI) spanning ten years as a contributing writer to the Washington Post, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor and Capital Times.

Sam’s focus was state, local and regional government, which he covered for several large, regional news organizations. His early reporting included the aborted presidential campaign of Michigan Governor George Romney. While working for the Minneapolis Tribune, he covered the tumultuous Vietnam War protests in Madison, Wisconsin, a takeover of the Wisconsin state assembly and black-student rebellion at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was selected for an American Political Science Congressional Fellowship working as press secretary for former Vice President and Senator Hubert H. Humphrey in Washington DC. While working for the Milwaukee Journal, in 1974, he was named Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists. In 1975, he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and received UPI’s top news writing award for lengthy coverage of the Menominee Indian occupation of the Alexian Brothers novitiate near Gresham, WI. Sam retired from the Milwaukee Journal in 2000, after 27 years of investigative reporting. He then joined the teaching staff at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater where, for twelve years, he inspired future journalists and acted as advisor to the student newspaper. He was recognized with a distinguished advisor award and a student award for an instructor “who made a difference ” in students’ lives. Most recently, he continued to rely on his “shoe leather” reporting skills as a regular contributor to the Edgerton Reporter.

Sam served our country as a public information specialist in the Army National Guard including federal duty during the Detroit riots in 1967.

Sam loved the outdoors. He was an active runner completing over 25 marathons, skied the American Birkebeiner multiple times and enjoyed camping and hiking. He is survived by his loving partner, Judy Taritas; his former wife, Mary Lou Payeur Martino; his three children, Anne (Tom), Joseph and Patrick Martino and two beloved grandchildren Sam and Sophie Martino. Sam was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Anthony Martino.

Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 26 followed by a service at 11 a.m. at St. Ann Catholic Church, 323 N. Van Buren St., Stoughton, WI. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Martino Journalism Scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater www.uww.edu/give  or by check payable to UW-Whitewater Foundation, noting the Martino Journalism Scholarship. Checks can be sent to UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc., 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI 53190.

In journalism, the number “30” at the end of a news story means the story is finished. Please share your memories of Sam by posting to his guest book at www.cressfuneralservice.com. “30”

Cress Funeral Service, 206 W. Prospect Street, PO Box 231, Stoughton, WI 53589 – (608) 873-9244