Dustin Reichwald

Barbara Jean (Lewis) Harkonen passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 6, 2018 in San Francisco, CA.

At the time of her passing, she was surrounded by her family in her home of the past 30 years. Her death marks the end of a rapid onset battle with lung cancer.

She was born January 28, 1949, in Whitewater, WI to Eri Junior Lewis and Jean Alice (Henderson) Lewis. She was the youngest of four children.

After graduating from Whitewater High School, Barbara attended Drake University. She lived in Denver, CO, Paris, FR, and Washington DC, before settling in San Francisco.

Barbara was an avid hiker, reader, and volunteer. She enjoyed swimming at Lauderdale Lake in the summer with her sister and exploring new recipes for family dinners. She was a member of two book clubs.

Barbara is survived by Kirsten Harkonen (daughter), Wesley Alan Harkonen (son), Nancy (Lewis) Cassano (sister), David Lewis (brother), Ryan Recht (son-in-law) and Dr. W. Scott Harkonen (ex-husband). She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Mary Lewis Desobe.

Barbara was a loving mother, sister, and friend and will be truly missed.

Funeral service will be family only followed by an open reception at Nitardy Funeral Home Chapel, 550 N. Newcomb Street, Whitewater, WI on Monday, October 15, 2018, from 2pm-4pm.

Memorials can be directed to any of the following:

Ice Age Trail

Touched by a Paw

Lung Cancer Research

www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Douglas Howard Parker, age 89, passed away of natural causes, on Friday, October 5th, 2018 at Rainbow Hospice in Johnson Creek, WI.

He was born December 26, 1928, in Whitewater WI, and is the son of Benjamin and Luella (Schoechert) Parker. Doug was raised in Whitewater, WI, where he graduated from Whitewater High School in 1947. Immediately after high school, Doug became a member of the Home Guard, which then was changed to the Wisconsin National Guard. Member Headquarter Company, 3rd Battalion, 127th Infantry. Promoted to Sergeant T/5. He was honorably discharged in 1951. During this time, he attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering, graduating in December 1950 with a Technical Degree in Thermodynamics. His first job was with Lipman Refrigeration, Beloit WI, as a repairman, disassembling ammonia compressors for recycling, and eventually promoted to foreman then assistant to the chief engineer. He also worked with Fairbanks-Morse and Company, as a parts technical writer then service manual writer for diesel engines. The family then moved to Galesburg, IL, where he worked as a service manual writer and assistant department manager. Later, the family moved to Kenosha County, where he worked with Modine Manufacturing Company in Advertising and Sales Promotion. He was later transferred to an assembly line as a foreman, then to Wonder Lake, IL as an Assistant Factory Manager.

In 1969, Doug started a career with State Farm Insurance. During his time with State Farm, Doug earned Legion of Honor, Agent of the Year and Traveling Millionaire. After more than 23 years of service, he retired from State Farm in December 1992. He thoroughly enjoyed his career as a State Farm Agent, especially in his efforts to help clients and associates and the friends he made along the way. After “retirement,” Doug and Winnie moved to Sun City West, AZ, where he started a new career as a real estate agent with Ken Meade Realty. He enjoyed hobbies such as photography, history, genealogy, and computer club. He also loved trains, travel, and visits from family and friends. After 21 years in Arizona, they moved back to Whitewater, where he spent time working on a couple of novels started when he was in Arizona. He and Winnie married in 1950 and celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary this year. He was very proud of his family and loved them dearly.

He is survived by his wife, Winifred (Stacey) Parker; and eight children: Michael, Stephen (Jill), Bruce (Theresa), David, Roger (Marie), James (Dorothy), Kristine Presley (Michael), Cynthia Dupuis (Henry); fifteen grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin and Luella (Schoechert) Parker; brother, Lawrence; two sisters, Jeannette (Bradley) Eames, Audrey (Richard) Cushman; and son, Jeffrey William Parker.

There will be a Celebration of Life in his honor Saturday, October 20, 2018, at the 841 Brewhouse in Whitewater, WI between 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Upcoming City and Community Meetings: Week of October 15 to October 21

Library Board Meeting – Monday, October 15, 2018, 6:30 pm, Irvin L. Young Memorial Library – Community Room.

For agenda,  

CDA Special Meeting – Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 5:30 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building – Cravath Lakefront Room.

For agenda,  

Alcohol Licensing Committee Meeting – Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 6:10 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building.

For agenda,  

Common Council Meeting – Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 6:30 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building.

For agenda,  

City of Whitewater Finance Committee Meeting – Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 7:00 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building.

For agenda,  

Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – Wednesday, October 17, 2018, 5:30 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building.

For agenda,  

 

The 175th Anniversary Celebration (1843-2018) of First United Methodist Church on Sept. 9, 2018

Photos and Story by Tom Ganser

Events of the day:

(1) Breakfast gathering in Fellowship Hall beginning at 8:45 a.m.

(2) Organ recital at 9:30 a.m. by FUMC organist and music director (since 1975) Jim Athas featuring compositions by Mozart, Vivaldi, Bach, and Paul Otto Mantz

(3) Worship service at 10:00 a.m. beginning with Sophia Walton playing piano

(4) Celebration after the service in Fellowship Hall.

Additional information:

Rev. Susan Bresser – Pastor for First United Methodist Church

Rev. Mary Beth Byrne – Pastor of Caring Ministry for First United Methodist Church

Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church

Rev. Forrest Wells, District Superintendent, South East District (Wisconsin); served as Associate Pastor for First United Methodist Church (Whitewater), 1984-86.

Also serving roles in the worship service:

Sophia Walton, piano

Jayne Haskey, FUMC Office Manager

Jim Athas, FUMC Organist/Music Director

Angie Dickens, flute

Ella Smith, ukulele and vocalist

Beth Staniforth-Seamster, Children’s Ministry Coordinator for Whitewater Area Regional Ministry

Chancel Choir directed by Christine Hayes

Technical support provided by Joe Sherman.

Congregation members Lynn Binnie, Cason Boudreau, Ethan Dugan, Kay Ebert, Jake Gerlach, Margaret Hancock, John Hoffmann, Tim Hoffmann, Amy Houwers, Elizabeth Katzman, Meikayla Korf, Elizabeth McComb, Mary Peiffer, Jen Soehner, Chuck Taylor, Donna Vosburg, Caroline Wieman (Church historian)

Several members of the congregation participated in the “March of History” highlighting important events in the history of Methodism and the First United Methodist Church in Whitewater.

Whitewater Turkey Dinner – Thursday, October 18 at the Whitewater Masonic Lodge

A delicious hot turkey dinner will be available at the Whitewater Masonic Lodge on Thursday, October 18 from 5 – 7 pm.

Tickets will be available at the door for only $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12 years old.

The dinner will be held at the Lodge at 226 W. Main St. Whitewater and carry outs will be available.

Proceeds will be used for local scholarships as well as other community support programs.

 

Marilyn G. Olm, 93, of Whitewater died on October 9, 2018.

Marilyn was born on May 19, 1925, in Menno, South Dakota to Frederick and Mabel (Christopherson) Rittershaus.  In 1947, she graduated from Lakeland College with a B.A. in Music and German, after which she received voice training at the New York Metropolitan Opera.  She was recruited by the renowned Westminster Choir at Princeton, New Jersey, and then spent much of her life as a featured soloist at churches and other concerts.

On June 15, 1948, she married the love of her life, Carroll Olm.  This past June, they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with their family.

One of the kindest, most selfless people you could ever meet, Marilyn infused her love into everyone she met and everything she did.  Her life was devoted to her family, friends, church, and the Fairhaven ministry.

She is survived by her husband, Carroll; her children, Mark (Germaine) Olm, Elizabeth (Steven) Eberhardt, and James Olm; grandchildren Daniel Eberhardt, Leah Olm, Erin Hageman, Christopher Olm, Rachel Olm, Chelsea Olm, and Jameson Olm; and great-grandchildren Gabriel and Harmony Hageman.

A Memorial Service will be held at Fairhaven on Saturday, October 13, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Fairhaven or Lakeland College.

The Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater, WI assisted the family, www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Whitewater Grocery Co. Hosting Second Annual Ownership Meeting

The fastest growing cooperatively-owned grocery store startup in the country, Whitewater Grocery Co. (WWGROCO), is up to almost 500 owners after a little over a year since incorporation. Things are moving fast, and the local community-owned grocery store initiative is inviting its owners to a second Annual Owners’ Meeting to review the next stages of the process and discuss potential sites for a full-service grocery store. Whitewater, with a population of more than 14,000, has been without a full-service grocery since 2015 when Sentry grocery store closed its doors.

The event, which will be both a celebration of progress and an update on what is needed next, will take place at the UW-Whitewater University Center Hamilton Room from 4 pm to 7 pm on Sunday, October 14.

”The commitment and dedication from our community is what has gotten us this far and made us the fastest growing community-owned grocery initiative in the nation,” said WWGROCO Board President Lacey Reichwald. Reichwald, who has been asked to speak to other groups around the Midwest about Whitewater’s success, has often described the motivation as “simple.” “Just have your only grocery store go out of business,” she says. “With over 14,000 people having to rely only on the partial grocery options of a Walmart, people get mobilized quickly.”

Since then, the WWGROCO has defied all predictions and grown to nearly 500 owners. The WWGROCO is well on its way to reaching the next milestone in the planning process which includes fine-tuning a business plan and “pro-forma” outlining the milestones required for the venture to be profitable. The group is ready to pursue a second and more comprehensive market study. In addition, the second Annual Meeting will focus on the work that has been done toward selecting a potential site, vote on open Board of Director positions, and vote on a potential expansion of the Board.

The meeting will be open to WWGROCO members and their household members. New owners can RSVP by calling the WWGROCO office at 262-472-1218. Regular business hours are Mondays 11-2, Wednesdays 2-6, and 11-2 on Fridays.

Initial plans are pointing toward a full-service grocery roughly the size of mid-range stores such as Aldi or Trader Joe’s. Owners, community members, and several city officials have indicated a sense of urgency in getting a full-service grocery, and the Whitewater Grocery Co. is answering that call. The total time it will take to open a store depends upon many factors, and owners will hear a discussion about the next phases of the process and the required milestones.

Whitewater Grocery Co. officially incorporated in March of 2017. In October of 2017 at the first Annual Meeting members helped shape a mission and vision and formally elected a Board of Directors. The organization has established an office in the UW-Whitewater Innovation Center and has been actively seeking new members, learning how other community-owned grocery stores have been successful, raising funds, hiring consultants, and taking an initial look at potential locations.

New owners can sign up at the Annual Meeting or online at www.whitewatergrocery.co. The WWGROCO thanks the University of Wisconsin Whitewater for providing the space for our owners to meet and helping spread the word among students and faculty that they will soon have a full-service grocery store in Whitewater that will be able to meet the community’s grocery needs.

WHS Volleyball takes down Clinton

 Clinton and Whitewater after the match in their pink uniforms.

From Coach Bullis:

The Whippet volleyball team won their lasts regular season volleyball match, defeating the Clinton Cougars by the scores of 16-25, 25-17, 25-18 & 25-12. The match was exciting from the start as it was Clinton’s Senior night and Dig Pink. The Cougars were very gracious and recognized the Whitewater seniors by giving them a beautiful flower and candy treat before the game. Also, it was fun for all to warm up to Baby Shark played over and over until $50.00 was raised for their Dig Pink cause.

The Whippet seniors’ play lead the way for the team tonight. Anna Riemer and Catherine Yang led in serves received, both nearly passing a 2.0 for the night. Anna helped spread the offense out by having the second highest amount of kills with 6 and Catherine had the second highest amount of digs with 14. Jocelin Beecroft added 4 more digs while Catherine Yang and Maddie Brown each lead the team in service aces with 5.

The Whippets will travel up to Edgerton to play in the conference tournament Saturday morning where they will face off again with Clinton at 9:00 am. The winner will move on to play Jefferson. The Whippets beat Jefferson earlier in the season in a back and forth battle, winning 3-2. It will be a very fun and challenging Homecoming weekend.

Go Whippets!

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Leaf and Yard Waste Collection Schedule

Week of November 5 – 9

Week of November 12 – 16

LEAF AND YARD WASTE COLLECTION:

The City of Whitewater Department of Public Works will conduct a leaf and yard waste collection the:

  • Week of November 5 – November 9
  • Week of November 12 – November 16

Yard waste must be bagged in clear or transparent bags only.  The City offers Bio-Bags at the Finance Department free of charge while supplies last.  Yard waste will not be collected if not properly bagged or placed in non-transparent or black bags.  Please place your bagged yard waste on the curb by Monday, November 5, 2018. Brush will not be collected as part of the yard waste collection.  Residents requesting brush collection may call 473-0560 to make an appointment for pick up on Tuesdays.

NOTICE:   It is against City Ordinance Chapter 12.08 – Street Obstructions, Section: 12.08.010 – Prohibited to deposit any yard waste debris on city streets or right of ways other than City of Whitewater designated days.

If you have any questions, please call the Streets Department at 473-0560.