Charles William Hill, 89, was called to Heaven and died on Friday, April 15, 2022. Charlie is at peace now as he is reunited with his wife of 64 years, Barbara. He was a devoted dad to Steve and Lori, Sheryl and Keith, and Sarah and Bob, loving “Grampy” to Stephen, Matty and Coley, Nick and Kena, Jackie and Jereme, Jon and Ally, Mikey and Hope, Steph and Darrin, and Anna, and proud “Grandpa Grandpa” of Max, Maya, and Brody, Emi, Liam, and Eva, Allie and Ryan, Charlie, Tommy, Maddie, Hank, and Teddy, and Calvin plus two more “greats” on the way.
Besides his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, Charlie is survived by sister, Margaret “Peggy,” sister-in-law Karen Lee, and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, other family, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara, parents Neal and Mildred Hill, mother-in-law and father-in-law Martin and Eleanor Roth, sister Dorothy Frutiger and husband Dick, brother-in-law Dick Simons, brother-in-law John Roth and wife Bonnie, brother-in-law Sam Roth and wife Romelle, brother-in-law Paul Roth, sister-in-law Rosemary Hadrath and husband Sterling “Bud,” brother-in-law Martin Roth and wife Ardis, and brother-in-law Charlie Roth.
Charlie was born in Whitewater on February 17, 1933, where he attended and graduated from Whitewater High School. At age 17, Charlie enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, went to Boot Camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, and became a member of ANGLICO (Air & Naval Gunfire Liaison Company) 1st Marine Division. He spent 17 months and 19 days in Korea. After the war, Dad was stationed in Chicago as a recruiter. In October of 2014, Charlie was able to travel to Washington, D.C. on the Stars & Stripes Honor Flight, along with Sheryl as his guardian. It was a great event in Dad’s life.
Moving back to Whitewater after his time in the Marines, Charlie attended U.W.-Whitewater. Dad played on the undefeated “Quaker” football team his freshman year. As the Quakers became the Warhawks, Dad remained a great supporter of Whitewater athletics. The Hills and their many friends had a tailgate party on Homecoming before the U.W.W. football games for many years.
Through the years Charlie had a variety of jobs; most were in the construction field. He was a salesman, construction manager, and business owner of Klein Supply Sales & Service.
Charlie and Barb bought an old farm in the town of Genesee that they worked hard remodeling. Dad and Mom also maintained a huge garden for many years. They both worked together to make canned tomatoes, pickles, and more. Dad and Mom purchased a cottage in Lakewood, WI that they remodeled and rebuilt extensively to fit their growing family. Charlie enjoyed snowmobiling, fishing, and driving the pontoon with family to see the loons, the eagles, and a great variety of birds and other wildlife in the Nicolet Forest.
If you met Charlie Hill, then you knew of his great sense of humor and quick wit. Dad was rarely at a loss for words and enjoyed telling jokes and limericks until the end. He sure enjoyed his perfect whiskey Manhattans also!
Our family would like to thank the staff at St. Vincent Hospital and Unity Hospice in Green Bay for the wonderful care given to Charlie in his last days. A thank you also goes to DaVita Dialysis Center in Waukesha as well as Summit Woods Senior Housing for the loving attention given to Dad.
We will have a service to honor Dad at the Wales-Genesee Lions Club Hall in Genesee Depot, WI at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14th. Following the service, we will celebrate the lives of both Charlie and Barb Hill at the Lions Club Hall. All are welcome to join us. Charlie Hill’s burial with military honors will be on Saturday, August 6th, 11:00 a.m. at the City of Mauston, WI cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Charlie’s memory are appreciated to the family to be designated to the Honor Flight Program and other charities.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Whitewater Unites Lives (WUL.)
As London subway trains approach each station, riders are warned to “Mind the gap!” The warning alerts riders to the space between the train and the subway platform, so that they won’t trip on their way off the train.
As the calendar carries us toward summer 2022, we must mind a different gap. The school lunch program is the main nutritional support for many of our Whitewater children. For seven weeks this summer, these lunch programs will not be operating. Without a program to provide lunches during that time, children will go hungry.
Whitewater Unites Lives (WUL) uses community support to meet this need. For the past few years WUL has gathered donations of cash and food. Its volunteers acquired groceries, sorted them into bags, and delivered the food. It involved a lot of material handling and physical effort.
We’re simplifying the program this year. WUL is working to raise $10,000 in cash donations. The Whitewater United Church of Christ will receive and manage the money for WUL. The money will fund the purchase of gift cards that the Whitewater Unified School District will distribute to the families to buy groceries. There will be two distributions, one for the June-July break in schooling, and one for the month of August.
Every dollar WUL receives will be used to feed people who need your help. Please send personal, church or organizational donations to:
UCC Congregational Church ATTN: Renea 133 S. Franklin Street Whitewater WI 53190
Please write “Mind the Gap” on the memo line.
If you have questions about this program or want additional information, please call:
Mary Sue Reutebuch (608) 931-9844
Rosalinda Martinez (920) 222-0749
Marjorie Stoneman (414) 861-4126
Mark Bromley (608) 732-7880
Thank you, Whitewater Unites Lives
Mind the Gap (Atención al hueco)
Cuando los trenes del metro de Londres se acercan a cada estación, se advierte a los viajeros “¡Cuidado con el hueco!”. La advertencia avisa a los viajeros del espacio que hay entre el tren y la plataforma del metro, para que no tropiecen al bajar del tren.
A medida que el calendario nos lleva hacia el verano de 2022, debemos prestar atención a otro espacio. El programa de almuerzos escolares es el principal apoyo nutricional para muchos de nuestros niños de Whitewater. Durante siete semanas de este verano, estos programas de almuerzo no van a operar. Sin un programa que proporcione almuerzos durante ese tiempo, los niños pasarán hambre.
Whitewater Unites Lives (WUL) utiliza el apoyo de la comunidad para responder a esta necesidad. Durante los últimos años, WUL ha recaudado donaciones de dinero y alimentos. Sus voluntarios adquirían los alimentos, los organizaban en bolsas y los entregaban. Esto requería mucha mano de obra y esfuerzo físico.
Este año estamos simplificando el programa. WUL está trabajando para recaudar 10,000 dólares en donaciones en efectivo. La Iglesia Whitewater United recibirá y administrará el dinero para WUL. El dinero financiará la compra de tarjetas de regalo que el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Whitewater distribuirá a las familias para comprar alimentos. Habrá dos distribuciones, una para el receso escolar de junio-julio y otra para el mes de agosto.
Cada dólar que reciba WUL se utilizará para alimentar a personas que necesitan su ayuda. Por favor, envíe sus donaciones personales, de la iglesia o de la organización a:
UCC Congregational Church ATTN: Renea 133 S. Franklin Street Whitewater WI 53190 Por favor, escriba “Mind the Gap” en la línea de memo.
Si tiene preguntas sobre este programa o desea información adicional, llame por teléfono: Mary Sue Reutebuch (608) 931-9844
Miriam with “Little Oscar” at her father’s meat market
The Chapter Story – Chapter 3: “Daddy’s Daughter” – Miriam Debereiner
By Sherrie Benes Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Acknowledgement: “I would dedicate my story to my mama and daddy, who spoiled me with many great pleasures while growing up!”
Introduction: I hope you can feel the vibrant, humorous personality this lady shared with me, while you read her story! The stage was her calling, if only she hadn’t listened to her heart…enjoy!
Ten years after the birth of their first daughter Arlene, Frank and Irma Richter were blessed with another beautiful daughter on August 16, 1931, whom they named Miriam.
… “I didn’t notice if we were considered well off. I just knew daddy had a good meat market business, that was very well known! It was called WH McNitt & Company, Central Market-Frank Richter. Do you know where the large fish that hangs on Main Street in Fort Atkinson is?” she asked. “That was the building where my daddy’s meat market used to be!”
“I never went without, and I admit I was a spoiled child! But I think I was spoiled because I was the one known to have ‘the talent’” she said.
When Miriam was 5 years old, she attended dance lessons, along with tap, toe and ballet. One day, the teacher heard her humming to the song and asked her to come over to sing. “Well, I couldn’t read the words yet, so they’d tell me the words and I just started singing!”
This was soon to be, just the beginning of her recognized talent!
At around seven years old, young Miriam started singing with the Fort Atkinson City Band, with concerts being held at Barry Park. “I can remember one time, which was very exciting, when everyone wanted my autograph!” Laughing she added, “I signed a lot of ice cream sticks that day!”
During the war (WWll), she found herself helping out more at the meat market, due to the men who had left to serve our country. She fondly recalled how after school she would go to the market and how she got to use the “big old cash register.”
“Daddy had to put a box up to it, just so I could reach it! All it did was add up the items, it didn’t tell you how much change to make. You had to know your math!” She also recalled her favorite job while helping her mama and daddy during this time, “I loved raking the sawdust on the floor!” she said excitedly! “Some people would drop money and they couldn’t find it in all that sawdust. So, if I found any while raking, I got to keep it for myself!”
When she got older, she then got the important job of helping to ‘scrape the block.’ “That’s where daddy would cut up the big slabs of meat,” she explained.
She talked about how these slabs of meat would come in, and they would have to weigh them on a big meat scale. “Did I tell you my daddy’s nickname? He was called Fat Frank! He was a big man! He was probably 5’9″ and weighed 350 pounds. He used to use that old meat scale to weigh himself!” Reminiscing she added softly, “but boy could he polka…”
When it came time for Miriam to get her driver’s license, most of the police officers might have thought she already had one, because you would often find her driving her daddy’s big boat (Oldsmobile) around town! But when it came time to take her actual driver’s test, she said, “I think my daddy’s car confused the officer who was giving me the test! My daddy’s car was a ‘Hydra-Matic’ and it was the first one in the state of Wisconsin, so he didn’t know much about those kinds of vehicles!” (Needless to say, Miriam only had to drive down the street and back, before the officer told her she had passed!)
When cheerleading tryouts began, she was excited to participate! “But when the music teacher found out,” she said, “that teacher came right down to the tryouts, and took me out! She said I wasn’t going to wreck my voice that way, and that was the end of that!”
After graduating high school, Miriam’s daddy wanted her to go on to school, so she enrolled in Milton College. By this time, she had fallen in love with her high school sweetheart who had gone into the Army. She planned on going for a music major, but after one year, she decided to take temporary leave, to work and save for her wedding. During this leave, the Milton College came to her and offered her a full music scholarship. She was honored to think that this was the first ever music scholarship being offered, but she turned it down…
“Why did you turn it down Miriam?” I had to ask. “Besides being terribly in love,” she said with drama, “I would’ve had to have been a music teacher or a performer. To be a performer, you gotta have PASSION!!”
“But you do!!” I exclaimed. She replied laughing, “Oh, not that way!!”
Her life went on to see many more “adjustments” as she would call it. She traveled to Germany to meet up with her husband in the Army, where she lived with a German family for 1 ½ years. She also found herself moving around a lot when returning to the states. “When we lived in Green Bay for a while, we had some great times that I can recall! I’m a huge Packers fan, and we attended quite a few games! But back then, at the old stadium, you got dressed up for the football games! You wore dresses, nylons, and heels, the whole outfit!”
She also told of the after-game parties they and their friends would host. “A few Packer players would even show up! I remember Paul Horning, he was always called the ‘Party Boy,’ but we never asked for autographs. It would have been demeaning!”
She then recalled the Ice Bowl, “Yep, I was there! But we of course didn’t know it would be referenced as the Ice Bowl!” She told of how bad the weather was, and coming from Fort Atkinson, they had to ‘drive like maniacs’ to make the game! “We only missed the kickoff! We wore as many layers as we could, but we didn’t have the fancy clothing or heat warmers like they have today! I sat with my boots on Styrofoam throughout the game, but when it was time to leave, I couldn’t get up! I couldn’t feel my feet! They had to help me out because I couldn’t walk!” Astonished, I asked, “did you stay until the end?”
With a swing of her fist in the air, she set me straight! “Well of course!! I’m a Packer backer to this day!” (…along with calling her ‘vibrant’ in my introduction, I should’ve added ‘spunky’!)
For approximately 20 years of her life, Miriam lived in Whitewater and worked part of these years at the Sentry Foods store. She was a checker at this time, which she thoroughly enjoyed! But after the owner sold and a new person took over, she explained it as being a ‘mellofahess’! Ignorantly I asked her, “is that German?”
Laughing, she whispered, “no, that means hell of a mess! I was never allowed to swear or use naughty words when I was younger, although I do my fair share now!”
After working 10 years at Sentry, she moved on to work in the accounting department at the UW Whitewater. Here, she worked for another 10 years before retiring to spend time with her late husband John, building their home.
After her husband’s passing, Miriam decided to sell their home that they lovingly built together and move back to Whitewater. At 90 years old, she has settled back in the Whitewater community and even has thoughts of joining the Aquatic Center, because of her love of swimming!
In closing out our wonderful conversation that morning, Miriam said something that I thought summed up her life very well….
“My life has been full of adjustments, constant adjustments. You just have to make the best of everything….”
Our thanks to Miriam Debereiner for sharing her story in our feature “Chapter Story.” Also, for the use of the picture of “Little Oscar” with her young self, at her father’s meat market! (This picture can also be seen at Pick n Save in Fort Atkinson, she stated.)
If you know of anyone that would like to share their story, or your own, please contact me at sherbenes@gmail.com. I would love to meet you! Sherrie
Our thanks also, to the sponsor of this Chapter Story!
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Ripon College.
The Ripon College Jazz Ensemble will present their spring concert Friday, April 22. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Demmer Recital Hall, C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts. Admission is free and open to the public.
The 18-member ensemble, which features Ripon College students as well as Ripon faculty and staff and area community members, will present a wide variety of jazz music spanning almost 100 years. It also will be the last Jazz Ensemble concert for three of the group’s seniors: Jacob Zuehlke of Whitewater, Wisconsin, will be featured on Gil Evans’ arrangement of Léo Delibes “The Maids of Cadiz,” from the classic Miles Davis album “Miles Ahead”; and Lydia Wiley Deal of Whitewater, Wisconsin, and Allison Slowiak of Kiel, Wisconsin, will be featured on Kenny Wheeler’s “Gentle Piece.”
The concert also will feature the world premiere of “For Everyone,” composed and arranged by ensemble director Paul Dietrich, adjunct instructor of music.
Other pieces will be selected from “Across the Track Blues,” composed and arranged by Duke Ellington; “Boom-Boom,” composed and arranged by Bob Brookmeyer; “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” composed by Charles Mingus, arranged by Sy Johnson; “A Hymn for Her,” composed and arranged by Fred Sturm; and “Well, You Needn’t,” composed by Thelonious Monk, arranged by Joe Clark.
Nancy went to Heaven peacefully on April 15, 2022 at age 85. Nancy is survived by her beloved sister Patricia Roberts, and her brother Bill Fardy, cherished nieces and nephews, and many dear friends. Preceded in death by her parents Mike and Helen Fardy, her sister Jeanne Trewyn, brother-in-law George Roberts, and sister-in-law Mary Lou Fardy.
Nancy was born on July 12, 1936 in Coffeeville, Kansas, the youngest of 4 children. The Fardy family moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin when Nancy was a young girl. After graduating from Whitewater High School, Nancy went to Spencerian Business School in Milwaukee then worked for 39 years as an Administrative Assistant with the Milwaukee Police Department.
After retiring from the Police Department, Nancy worked part time at Marshall Fields.
Nancy was an active parishioner at Holy Apostles Church and member of the Choir. Nancy was also a member of the Shamrock Club of Milwaukee and the Choir. You could find Nancy marching in St. Patrick’s Day parades, bartending at Irish Fest, singing in the Mass at Irish Fest, and listening to Irish and Celtic music.
Nancy was also a committed volunteer to many other organizations, including the Ronald McDonald House, Waukesha Memorial Hospital, and the New Berlin Library.
Nancy was fun, loving, adventurous, loyal, kind, and incredibly generous. Nancy was all about Wisconsin sports—a very loyal and vocal Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers fan. She loved to travel—around the country, as well as international. Her travel companions included family, friends, and elder hostel groups. Nancy was all about family—such a presence at every holiday, party, and family gathering. Nancy always took the time with friends, her brother and sisters, and her many nieces and nephews. She will be missed by all.
A visitation is being held this Friday, April 22nd at HOLY APOSTLES CATHOLIC CHURCH, 16000 W. National Ave. New Berlin, from 10:00 a.m. until time of the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m.
The Fardy family wishes to express their appreciation to the doctors, nurses and other caregivers at Waukesha Memorial hospital and Angels Grace hospice for their dedication and compassionate care.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The redistricting that is occurring due to the 2020 census will result in the city of Whitewater’s residents being represented by two different people in the U.S. House as well as in the State Assembly. The city straddles a boundary between Jefferson and Walworth counties, and the dividing line for both the federal and state positions is that county line.
The Banner’s article on April 17 regarding the impact of redistricting indicated that the city’s congressional district will be changing in January, 2023 from District 5 (currently Representative Scott Fitzgerald – R) to District 1 (currently Representative Bryan Steil – R). It turns out that information was approximately 82% correct. Greg Grube, Redistricting Specialist at the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), confirmed to the Banner that only the Walworth County portion of the city will be transitioning to Congressional District 1.The Jefferson County portion will be remaining in Congressional District 5. Roughly 82% of Whitewater’s population resides in Walworth County.
The city will also be divided for representation in the State Assembly. Currently the entire city is in District 43, represented by Don Vruwink (D – Milton). The Walworth County portion of the city will shift to District 31, which is currently represented by Amy Loudenbeck (R – Clinton), who is running for Secretary of State. WEC indicated to the Banner that candidates are not required to file with the agency until they submit their nomination papers, which are due by June 1; however, some candidates file earlier. As of April 18, Ellen Schutt (Clinton) and Maryann Zimmerman (Whitewater) had filed as Republicans for the 31st. The Banner received a news release indicating that Jason Dean (LaGrange) will also be running as a Republican.
The Jefferson County portion of the city will be in Assembly District 33. Cody Horlacher (R – Mukwonago) currently represents that district; however, he does not live within the new boundaries of the district and is not running for re-election. Though no one has filed for this district yet with WEC, Don Vruwink lives in the district and told the Banner that he will be running to represent the 33rd.
The entire city will be part of State Senate District 11, which is currently represented by Steve Nass (R – Whitewater), who is running for re-election. Currently the city is in District 15.
The partisan primary will be held on August 9, and the general election on September 8.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the League of Women Voters-Whitewater Area.
The League of Women Voters-Whitewater Area invites the public to attend a virtual presentation, “Gun Safety & Gun Violence,” on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. with Katie Olson, a member of the Wisconsin Volunteer Executive Team from Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America.
Katie Olson will speak about how gun safety policies save lives. She’ll review which states have the strongest gun safety laws, why, and where Wisconsin ranks. She’ll also discuss how gun violence impacts our communities and what we can do to end this uniquely American crisis.
This event will be virtual. To attend live, please join the webinar by using the URL: https://bit.ly/lwv-ww_april2022. Or, join us by telephone: Dial (312) 626-6799, Webinar ID: 886 1125 8952. The event will also be livestreamed on the LWV-WW Facebook page (facebook.com/lwvwhitewater.org), as well as recorded and made available to the public afterwards.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, visit our website at lwvwhitewater.org and like us on Facebook.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Police Department.
We’re excited to announce that we have the official details for our drive-in pancake fundraiser! Stop by Congregational UCC on May 7th from 7:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. to pick up your free pancake breakfast. Additionally, you can meet K-9 Truss and many of the UW-Whitewater police officers!
We are also having a 50/50 raffle at the pancake breakfast! Thanks to companies from around the community, you could be a lucky winner of some great prizes! All the proceeds from the 50/50 raffle will go back directly to the UW-Whitewater Police Department’s K-9 Unit.
We’ve attached the map for our drive-thru as well; if you have any questions or want to donate ahead of time give us a call at (262) 352-5666.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s College of Arts and Communication, Department of Theatre/Dance.
The College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater announces the final show of the Theatre/Dance season with “The Busybody” by Susanna Centlivre. Directed by Sara J. Griffin, this production will run in Barnett Theatre April 26-29 at 7:30 p.m. and May 1st at 2:00 p.m. In addition, an outdoor performance will be held on April 30th at 2:00 p.m. at the Frawley Family Amphitheater in Cravath Lakefront Park. Tickets are on sale for the performances in Barnett and can be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. The outdoor performance is free to attend and is a bring your own chairs, snacks and beverages event. The Barnett Theatre is located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts at 950 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190. Masks are suggested for anyone attending events in the Greenhill Center of the Arts and the Young Auditorium. Do not come to campus if you are ill. For the most up to date campus safety information, visit the Warhawks are Back webpage.
Parents just don’t understand! In a time when arranged marriages were the social expectation, a renegade couple and their friends plot to escape the lousy marriages their controlling caretakers have set up. Will a nosey nobleman ruin their plans or save the day? This hilarious restoration comedy, written by one of the most highly acclaimed female playwrights of the 18th century is full of wit, adventure, cunning and love.
Centlivre wrote many plays based on the social expectation of her own life from 1669 – 1723 in England. No stranger to the idea of arranged marriage, she was known to intertwine politics and comedy to get her own political ideas to the audience. Themes of feminism in comedy were extremely prevalent in her work and it’s because of this that many of her earlier works were written anonymously in order to avoid discrimination. “The Busybody” was the first one of her plays to become popular, followed by another five years later titled “The Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret.”
On choosing this production Griffin states, “We, as a department, are striving to diversify the playwrights we choose to showcase in our season, and I am so thrilled to direct this Restoration era gem of a play written by a woman! Finding a play written in that time period, by a woman, that isn’t problematic to the audiences of today is a tall order. But Susanna did it, and created a delightful tale that the cast and I are beyond delighted to share.” No stranger to feminist concepts and restoration comedies, Griffin has adapted the script in an effort to bring modern and current language to the forefront. “What fun is a play if all the references are over your head, or don’t make sense to you? The only way a play stands the test of time is if audiences can continue to relate. If the language is a barrier to that, the play either needs adapting or it will no longer be produced. I’m not suggesting that we discard historical plays because their language is antiquated, far from it. But we must be actively looking for ways to make that language resonate with our audiences, or we are missing the point of theater entirely. The plays should be for the audience, not an opportunity for an artistic flex.”
The cast includes: Harry Heinrich playing Sir Francis Gripe, Makayla Fedler playing Miranda, Emma Dutcher as Scentwell, Bryce Giammo as Charles, Kemi Ajao in the role of Whisper, Carter Waelchli [WHS ’21] as Marplot, Robert Chelius as Sir Jealous Traffick, Erin McKee as Isabinda, Valerie Gyorke in the role of Patch and Sam Behling in the role of Sir George Airy.
