According to Fox 6 Milwaukee, “A Walworth County judge sentenced Yefferson Guzman Rodriguez to two years in prison for each of two counts in connection with an incident in which officials said he was wielding several rifles after holding a victim against her will for multiple days in October 2023. Guzman Rodriguez pleaded guilty in March to felony counts of false imprisonment and strangulation/suffocation.”
Read the full article here.
Shirley M. Messier, 86, of Whitewater, Wisconsin, passed away on July 8, 2024. Shirley was born to Erwin and Leona Reese on May 20, 1938, in Farmington, Wisconsin. Shirley (“Shirttail”) attended the local country school, then set out on her own, taking a job doing factory work.
On August 24, 1957, she married Blaine Messier in Jefferson, Wisconsin. They had three daughters, Michele (Shelly), Terry, and Karen. Shirley spent many years being a working wife and mother, finally retiring from Polymer Technologies / MacLean Fogg in Whitewater.
Shirley loved country music and spent her retirement years going to George Jones and Daniel O’Donnell concerts along with her concert friend, Edy Oldenberg. She joined fan clubs so she could go behind the scenes and meet the performers. She proudly had numerous photographs taken with George and Daniel and made many duplicates of those photos so she could share copies with relatives and friends. Shirley had a terrible fear of bodies of water, but conquered her fear so she could attend a concert on a boat in Branson, not knowing there would be a huge storm while she was on the boat.
When Shirley became a Grandma in 1986, she focused most of her attention on her only grandchild. The two became inseparable, with Shirley making herself available for her granddaughter every possible moment. Shirley also had a passion for decorated cut-out cookies and would bake and frost hundreds of them at Christmas time. She especially loved to give cookies to her adopted family member, Bruce Fletcher, who loved the cookies as much as she did. Turkey dinners were her favorite, and she would talk about them for days before the holiday dinner. Family members would report to Shirley when “the turkey was in the oven.” Shirley bravely fought and won battles with both lung cancer and colon cancer, surviving both without the need for either chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
Shirley loved her three daughters, often saying that even though she raised them all the same, the three girls had completely different personalities. Shirley always stepped up when one of her children needed her, being a Mother that could be counted on in times of trouble. Tragedy struck when Shirley’s middle daughter became ill with a rare and fatal form of Parkinson’s disease. The first time Shirley went to her daughter’s new home, she took a turn onto the bike path, thinking it was the road. After driving awhile, she struggled to turn the car around and go home, saying she was “not going out there again because the roads were too narrow.” She never lived down the teasing and laughter about taking the wrong turn. At this point in her life, Shirley could not help with many physical tasks, but that did not deter her. She conquered the fear of that “narrow road” plus another fear – winter driving. She drove almost daily to spend time with her very ill daughter, knowing how lonesome her daughter was. The death of her daughter deeply devastated Shirley, and she never recovered from that loss.
Shirley is survived by her daughters, Michele Smith (Bill) of Whitewater and Karen Messier of Jefferson (Mark Simdon); her granddaughter, Alaina Smith (Jason Barajas) of Whitewater; her brother, John Reese (Leah) of Watertown; Yvonne Schuett (Larry) of Watertown, and Angie Vick of Watertown.
She was predeceased by her parents, her daughter, Teresa Messier; her former husband, Blaine Messier; her brother, Howard Reese (Doris); and her sisters, Myrtle Scheel, (Irwin); Marilyn Hertel (William); Norma Schlesner (Art Schlesner); Lorraine Pierick (Raymond); all from the Watertown area.
Services will be held on July 18, 2024, at the Olsen-Gibson Funeral Home, 221 S. Center Street in Jefferson. Visitation will begin at the Funeral Home at 10:00 a.m., with the service beginning at 11:00 a.m. Burial will occur immediately after the service. Burial will be at Melendy’s Prairie Cemetery, Township of Eagle, Wisconsin.
The family would like to thank those who were able to visit Shirley while she spent her last months in the nursing facility. It meant so much to her. They would also like to thank the staff of Rainbow Hospice for their compassionate care of Shirley; Dr. Roberta Wedl of SSM Health; and staff at Bedrock Health Care Center. Particular thanks to Bedrock’s former “Nurse Eric,” who brought an incredible amount of joy to Shirley’s last days.
Do you and your young kids love to sing, dance, and play musical instruments? Do you wish you had new parenting strategies to handle stress, meltdowns, and challenging behaviors?
Children ages zero to six and their caregivers are invited to “Sing, Dance, Thrive,” a free class at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library on Saturday, July 11 at 9:45-11:00 a.m. Participants will engage in imaginative music and movement adventures, playfully dance with colorful ribbons and parachutes, and nurture relationships by deepening emotional awareness and learning coping strategies for home and school.
The class is taught by Noelle Larson, a Board-Certified Music Therapist, graduate of Whitewater High School and Berklee College of Music, and the owner of Circle of Song Music Therapy, LLC. Noelle has a passion for helping clients and participants to “Connect, Thrive, and Come Alive Through Music”, strengthen family relationships, learn adaptive coping strategies, and experience wonder and joy through the delight of participating in live music making.
There is no cost or registration required to attend. While the class is best for ages 6 and under, all ages are welcome to attend. Contact Sarah French with any questions at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-473-0530.
The Whitewater 4th of July Committee is proud to share that the 39th Annual Car Show, sponsored by First Citizens State Bank, was a resounding success, celebrating a shared passion for automotive excellence.
Held July 6, the car show attracted a large crowd of car enthusiasts, families, and community members who enjoyed an afternoon filled with an array of classic and modern vehicles. The event featured an impressive collection of cars, from vintage models to the latest innovations in automotive technology.
Chad and Jessica O’Leary, the dedicated organizers and volunteers, once again demonstrated their passion for the automotive world and their commitment to bringing the community together by organizing the car show for the 4th year in a row. There were 89 registered vehicles, and when combined with those who joined later in the afternoon, it brought the number of total participants over 100! Please join us in celebrating this milestone record attendance.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our generous sponsor, First Citizens State Bank, whose support was instrumental in making this event possible. First Citizens State Bank’s continued commitment to the community and enthusiasm for the car show also played a pivotal role in its success.
One of the highlights of the event was the announcement of the winners. This year’s winners, chosen by popular/band vote, were:
We congratulate the winners and thank all participants for showcasing their remarkable vehicles.
We look forward to continuing this tradition and welcoming everyone back for the 40th Annual Car Show next year.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Katie Lehman and Lisa Dawsey Smith
Co-Chairs, Whitewater 4th of July Committee
whitewater4th@gmail.com
Thank you once again to our hosts, sponsors, participants, and attendees for making this event unforgettable.
FORT ATKINSON, WI — Fort Community Credit Union (FCCU) held their annual brat cookout on Saturday, June
8, to raise money for the Jefferson County Cancer Coalition (JCOCC).
The JCOCC is a community-based organization that aims to support individuals and families affected by cancer
in Jefferson County. The coalition works towards raising awareness about early detection, prevention and
treatment of cancer while also advocating for improved cancer care and support services within the community.
The cookout took place at FCCU’s Main Branch located at 800 Madison Avenue in Fort Atkinson.
All items were donated by Johnsonville, Kwik Trip, FCCU team members, and Festival, ensuring that 100% of the
proceeds went to the JCOCC. FCCU team member Deanna Ugalde was instrumental in the coordination and
execution of the event. “Thank you to the FCCU team,” said Deanna, event organizer. “Without their help and
support, this event would not be possible every year.”
FCCU raised a grand total of $2,533.71 for the Jefferson County Cancer Coalition this year! Thank you to
everyone who stopped by to support such a great cause!
A quiet Tuesday night light show without the fireworks! The photo was taken looking west from Trippe Lake. What a gorgeous sunset!
Submitted by Carol McCormick
In the past couple of months, the Whitewater Effigy Mounds has had visits from Amy Rosenbraugh, nationally-known expert on Effigy Mounds, and expert UW Madison Geology Professor William Gartner. They recently had observed LIDAR map imagery of the sacred mounds here and now suspect a pretty incredible new discovery on this historical Whitewater and State Landmark – one thousand-year-old raised garden beds. Landmark Trek was there to film and observe the day they were there in town and created an Effigy Mounds Part 2 episode covering all the new information. The video is below.
Patricia Ann Parr
Born 7/20/42
Departed to Heaven 5/10/23
About herself, Patricia often said “I love life, I love God, He always has taken care of me, and He always will”.
Patricia died peacefully at Angels Grace Hospice in Oconomowoc, after a long and courageously fought season of declining health.
Patricia was born in Beaver Dam, to a lovely family, which included her older brother Dennis and not too long after, her lifetime best friend and little sister Mary.
They grew up on an idyllic “Gentlemen’s Farm” outside of Jefferson, with horses and many animals. Her parents, Floyd and Kathryn owned the local pharmacy in Jefferson, so they were friends with the whole town.
She was smart with a wide range of interests and gifts and many friends. She was selected to be the only honoree representing Fort Atkinson High School at Badger Girls State in Madison her Senior year. After graduating in the Top 20 of her class from Fort Atkinson High School as a national merit scholar, she attended the University of Wisconsin Madison on a full scholarship, as a Psychology major.
Her sense of adventure and interest in civil rights issues and the changing culture of the era, led her to New York City, where she had several unique positions, including working as an assistant to the famous rock band, The Loving Spoonful, and as an executive secretary and proofreader for a renowned global publication.
Patricia had one daughter, Bridget and enjoyed married life in Michigan for many years, where she worked an array of interesting jobs throughout her life there, and later in Whitewater.
She was known for her humor, wit, intelligence, crossword puzzles, artistry, writing, cooking, fashion sense and her rare gift for working with adults and children with special needs.
She bore witness to a vibrant faith, church choir service and a strong commitment to her AA peers and program.
Surviving Patricia are her daughter Bridget and Granddaughter Kailin, of St. Louis, her sister Mary Lange of Oconomowoc, her nieces Jennifer and Tracy and Great nephew Gabriel, along with many beloved extended family members.
A Celebration of Life and Memorial Mass is planned for:
Friday, July 19th in Jefferson, WI
11 am
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
Donations to Alcoholics Anonymous and St. Patrick’s Church.
5 Family Rummage Sale, Thursday, July 11- Saturday, July 13, 9:00am-3:00pm – 239 Lakeview Dr, Whitewater
You name it; we probably have it.
Piper Road Spring Band will play this Thursday, July 11, from 11:30am to 12:45pm, for the Whitewater Art Alliance’s Savory Sounds Summer Concerts, rain or shine. Piper Road Spring Band has been a Whitewater and regional bluegrass band favorite since their days 40 years ago when they played weekends at the Green Dragon on Blackhawk Island. Fiddle, mandolin, string bass, guitar, and washboard are their classic makeup.
And what food goes better with Piper Road Spring Band music than pizza?Always a favorite at Savory Sounds, our vendor this week will be Rocky Rococo’s, so come hungry!
This week’s band is sponsored by The Coburn Company, Inc. (www.coburn.com)
Our sponsors for the summer series are:
