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Today is Sunday, June 8, 2025
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Emerson Ellenwood, a senior at Whitewater High School, has been awarded a Prestigious National Honor Society Scholarship.
Since 1946, more than $25 million in scholarships have been awarded to outstanding NHS senior members to support college access and student success. The scholarship program is supported by the parent organization of NHS, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
In the 100+ years since NHS was founded in 1921, members have been making a difference in their schools and communities. The NHS Scholarship is NASSP’s way of recognizing the most exceptional of these student leaders. Recipients are chosen based on their demonstrated work to support the four pillars of NHS: Leadership, Character, Scholarship & Service.
Emerson is the President of the National Honor Society & French National Honor Society at Whitewater High School and is the Captain of the Varsity Soccer, Basketball & Tennis Teams. He has been on the high honor roll throughout his high school career and won many academic awards for his achievement in school. Emerson earned the distinction of AP Scholar with Honor, became a University of Chicago Voltage Scholar, was a Badger Boys State Primary Delegate in 2023, Wisconsin Second Alternate at Boys Nation, and earned the Whitewater High School Rising Whippet Award in 2022. He also won an award for the Best Position Paper for SOCHUM at MADMUN XII – an organization through Model United Nations (UN) whose top priority is to enforce social, cultural and humanitarian freedoms internationally. Emerson has helped many younger students work through challenges as a Peer Mentor and encouraged many students to take advantage of opportunities as a member of the Lead Dog Program. He also inspired many students as a Basketball Coach for the Whitewater Parks & Recreation Program.
Whitewater High School NHS Advisor, Pamela Sonmor-Wintz proudly remarked, “Emerson has been an amazing National Honor Society President this year and is so deserving of this honor and recognition! He is an outstanding student, leader and exceptional human being. His character is always at the highest level and he makes decisions that have a positive impact on his peers. Emerson has empathy for others and a sense of humility that helps him recognize and acknowledge the strengths of others. He is an inspiration to everyone who has had the privilege of working with him. Congratulations Emerson for receiving this most honorable and prestigious award!”
Emerson is the son of Christian Ellenwood and Elisabeth Deussen.
It’s movie awards season and Seniors in the Park will be presenting many nominated and winning films over the coming months!
“The Holdovers”
Tuesday, February 13, 1 p.m.
(Drama/Comedy) Rated R (language)
2 hours, 13 minutes (2023).
A cranky history teacher (Paul Giammati) at an obscure Eastern prep school is forced to stay on campus over the Holidays with the few students and staff (DaVine Joy Randolph) that have no place to go. Golden Globes were awarded for Best Actor; Supporting Actress.
Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road. Although there is no charge to attend, regular participants are encouraged to join Seniors in the Park. The annual fee for residents of the Whitewater Unified School District is $10 and non-residents is $15. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes our of our fundraising monies. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a fund that will cover it for you. Fees are accepted at the Starin Park Community Building or online at https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/
The Whitewater Whippet Gymnastics Team went to Elkhorn Thursday night, February 8. The JV team took 2nd with a score of 65.2750. It is the JV’s highest score this year.
Vaulting for the first time, Maddie Morton scored a 7.050. Maggie, Amaya, and Gabriella scored their highest on vault.
JV Balance beam was once again a no fall beam routine from the four girls that competed.
JV had 5 girls compete on the floor, with all the girls scoring the personal best for the year so far.
Whitewater Whippets Gymnastics has two more meets left in the season. They will be in Waterford on Tuesday, February 13th and then head to Elkhorn for Conference on the 16th.
Article Submitted by Shawnda Peters
Whitewater High School Head Gymnastics Coach
speters@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Whitewater beat Clinton 57-38 Thursday night, February 8, in a Rock Valley Conference girls’ basketball crossover game.
Whitewater slowly built a double-digit lead towards the end of the first half and kept that lead the rest of the night.
Grosinske led Whitewater with 22, Navejas contributed 13, DePorter added 8, and Kohl scored 7, balancing out the scoring.
Whitewater is at Oconomowoc on Friday, February 9. They finish the regular season on Monday, February 12 (vs. East Troy) and Thursday, February 15 (vs. Jefferson) at home.
Article Submitted by Mike Dowden
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach
dowmi01@wwusd.org
Photo courtesy of Bob Mischka
Whitewater Boys’ Basketball (3-17), lost to Delavan-Darien High School on Thursday, February 8, by a score of 60-41. Reece Condon led the Whippets with 13 points, followed by Wyatt Nixon with 7.
Article Submitted by Mike McCabe
Whitewater High School Head Boys’ Basketball Coach
mccmi01@wwusd.org
Photo courtesy of Bob Mischka
Updated Feb. 10 @ 10 p.m.: Per historian Carol Cartwright:”The mill was located next to the old Baker’s garage.” (Jefferson & Main)
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
The second in our series “Gone but not Forgotten,” is the old stone mill. This image, taken in January of 1970, shows the demolition of the frame portion of the mill, also the oldest portion, built in 1839 and the first industry in Whitewater. In 1860, the large stone addition was completed and the mill operated well into the 20th century.
It was two more years (November of 1972) before the rest of the building was demolished, after the owner could not find a way to renovate and reuse the building.
Join us next week for more “Gone but not Forgotten” images.
(2595P, Whitewater Historical Society)
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from UW-Stout.
The following student from the area graduated on Dec. 16, 2023, from University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis. The university graduated 526 students, with 440 undergraduate and 86 Graduate School students this fall.
UW-Stout has more than 45 undergraduate programs and more than 20 graduate programs, including one doctoral degree. UW-Stout, established in 1891, prides itself on the success of its students in the workplace, with an employment rate of 99.4% for recent graduates. The university was awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2001.
UW-Stout is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes.
Whitewater, WI
Cassandra Hoxie, BS Computer and Electrical Engineering
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
Stevens Point, Wis. – The No. 10 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team outscored the Pointers 17-9 in the third quarter leading to a 64-51 win at UW-Stevens Point Wednesday night. Senior forward Aleah Grundahl had a monster night with 33 points on 12-16 from the floor and 8-11 from the charity stripe. She added eight boards, two blocks, an assist and a steal in 29 minutes of action.
Box Score
The Warhawks dominated in the paint in the second half scoring 24 points in the lane while holding the Pointers to just four. For the game, UWW enjoyed a 32-24 sway in points in the paint.
Katie Hildebrandt opened the game with a three-pointer off of a Maggie Trautsch pass eleven seconds into the game and UW-Whitewater maintained the lead through the first quarter. Trautsch got the second quarter off to a similar start knocking down a triple from a Grundahl dish to push the lead to eight, 21-13.
UW-Stevens Point whittled down the lead eventually taking the advantage on a layup, 25-23, with 6:14 on the clock. UWW regained the advantage in the next two possessions but a late and-one for UWSP sent the teams into the locker room with the Warhawks leading by just two, 30-28.
On the other side of the break, the Pointers tallied the first basket, a three-pointer to claim the lead. A few plays later, Trautsch found Lunden Alexander who powered through a foul on a layup. She dropped in the free throw to spark a 12-6 run through the rest of the quarter. The Warhawks ran through the Pointers in the 10-minute span, outscoring the host school 17-9 to open up a double-digit advantage, 47-37.
UWSP was able to cut the margin to five twice in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter but Grundahl and UWW would not be stopped. The senior forward dropped in 14 of the team’s 17 points in the final quarter. Grundahl played the entire period hitting 6-7 from the floor and 2-2 from the free throw line while adding four rebounds and a blocked shot.
Trautsch paced the Warhawks on the glass with 10 rebounds, all on the defensive end, adding a team-high five assists and three steals.
With just three games remaining in the regular season, UW-Whitewater holds second in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings with an 8-3 record. The Warhawks are one game back from UWO (9-2). UW-Platteville (6-5) is third followed by UW-Stout (5-6), UW-River Falls (5-6), UW-La Crosse (4-7), UW-Eau Claire (4-7) and UW-Stevens Point (3-8).
Obituaries
A Celebration of Life for Dick Enstad will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025 from 9:30-11:30 AM at Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 North Newcomb Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to First English Lutheran Church or an organization of your choice. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years.” ~Abraham Lincoln
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Clarence Everett Hansen, Jr. (Bud), 87, passed away on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at his family home in LaGrange, WI at 1:30 PM. Bud was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on December 6, 1937, to Clarence Hansen Sr. and Ruth (Dalson) Hansen and was baptized at Bethlehem Church in Milwaukee. Bud graduated from Lutheran High School in Milwaukee on June 9, 1955. Following high school, Bud enlisted in the US Army and was a light weapons specialist and sharpshooter. He was stationed in Germany and upon honorable discharge, served in the Army Reserves until 1962. Bud married his wife, of 63 … Read more
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Edward (Ed) Geske passed away to the Great Workshop in the Sky on May 25, 2025, due to years of severe infections of the urinary tract. Edward E. Geske was born on Thanksgiving Day to Elmer and Alice McMillan Geske on November 25, 1943 at the family home in Crystal Lake, Illinois. He was accompanied by his twin sister, Marjorie, on this momentous occasion. Edward’s siblings are: Nancy(Tom) Trewyn, Arlene (Richard) Trewyn, Marjorie Petska, Susan (Gordy) Gimiski, Ray (Patti) Geske, and Mary (Gale) Smith. Ed grew up and attended elementary school in Lima Center, WI, later graduating from Whitewater High School. … Read more
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Irv A. Madsen, 86, Whitewater, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 02, 2025. He was born in Askov, MN on May 20, 1938, to Ludvig and Augusta Madsen. Irv graduated from Amery High School in 1956 and received his Bachelor’s Degree from UW-Whitewater in 1960 and his Master’s Degree from UW-Madison in 1965. He began his career teaching Business Education at Milton High School and then moved to UW-Whitewater to become the Director of Admissions for 42 years. During his time at UW-Whitewater he coached Women’s Softball, announced Football games for 50 years and was “the voice of … Read more
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Faith Ann Hansen, 83, passed away on the evening of Monday, May 19th at Alden Estates in Jefferson, Wisconsin. She was born on April 20th, 1942, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of Donald Hansen and Doris (Ceel) Hansen. Faith graduated from Brookfield Central High School. Following high school she married Clarence (Bud) Hansen, Jr. and owned and ran the Twin Oaks Inn bar in Little Prairie, WI. Faith then worked at the Lakeland Nursing Home for over 30 years, while there earning her nursing degree from MATC in 1992. She was a member of First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater … Read more
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Ann S. Eckert, 85, of Port Charlotte, FL, died on Monday, April 7, 2025, at Advent Hospital in Port Charlotte, FL. She was born in Madison, WI, on October 16, 1939. Ann was the only child of Clifford and Virginia Peterson. Ann was married for 65 years to Rev. Jerry Eckert. They had two children, David and Karen. Ann was a 1957 graduate of New London High School and earned her BS degree at Texas Women’s University in Denton, TX, in 1961 with a major in home economics education. She taught a year in Seagoville, TX, and a part of … Read more
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Robert (Bob) John O’Hara, a cherished member of our family and friends, passed away May 19, 2025. Bob was born September 14, 1956, to Charlotte Anna (Wallack) Lewers and Robert James O’Hara. Bob grew up in Elk Grove Village, IL and graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1974. He relocated to Whitewater, WI in 1986 and worked various warehouse distribution positions and ended his career as a manager. A significant life event occurred in 1998 when his precious daughter, Kelly Lynd O’Hara, was born. Kelly was an important focus of his life and he enjoyed watching her grow … Read more
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BRADLEY TERESA ANN Teresa Ann Bradley, age 84, of Yankton, SD passed away Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at Avera Sister James Care Center, Yankton, SD. Memorial service will be 10:30 am Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Yankton with Fr. Thi Pham officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Onsite Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent at www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com. Teresa Ann was born in Chicago, Illinois, November 23,1940, to Paul and Hildegard (Weinandt) Bradley. She lived on a 5-acre farm in what is … Read more
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Michael “Mike” J. Higgins, age 69, a lifelong resident of Whitewater, passed away May 13, 2025, at home. He was born May 15, 1955, in Fort Atkinson, the son of Merwyn “Mert” and Mary Ann (Krause) Higgins. He attended Whitewater schools and was a long-time mechanic at Fero’s Auto Repair, enjoying lunches at Rick’s at his reserved table. He retired after many years of service of the Whitewater Fire and Rescue Departments as Chief. He enjoyed spending time up north at his property hunting. He leaves behind long-time love of his life, Jody Buckingham and kids, Sherry (Al Jr.) Lemke … Read more
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Susan (Sue) Rhoda Schlough (nee Smith) was born August 11, 1936, in Barron, WI to Daniel and Ella Smith. The second of six siblings born during the Depression years, family-life was a meager and frugal experience, where Sue gained first-hand experience in making best use of all resources to meet the needs of a large family, which served her well in other life endeavors. During Sue’s teenage years, three significant events occurred that would become the foundation of her life’s work and dedication. The first of these events was choosing to become a Methodist, joining her local First United Methodist … Read more
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