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Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the Whitewater Grocery Cooperative.
In December the Whitewater “future” Grocery Store Cooperative is honoring Lisa Griep, Food Services Supervisor and Patty Germundson, WHS Cook, and the rest of Lisa’s Whitewater Unified School District Food Service employees (see entire list below) for all they did during the March through December 2020 Pandemic. During that time they served 210,588 meals to the children in our community. A high percentage of Whitewater’s students depend on these meals. We appreciate all of these Whitewater Food Warriors during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Tootie Behrens
Murray Blake
Josie Czerpak
Pam Duerst
Patty Germundson
Lisa Griep
Lisa Hough
Carol Kuchan
Storm Langhoff
Joyce Leverenz
John Meyer
Susan Stone
Cindy Ziebarth
By Chris Lindeke, Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding, UW-W
No. 3 Warhawk Football Downed in NCAA Semifinals
Game Statistics: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/uwwsports.com/documents/2021/12/11/28466.pdf
The No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team fell behind by double digits in the first half Saturday and was unable to cut into the deficit in a 24-7 setback against No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) in a semifinal of the NCAA Division III Playoffs at Perkins Stadium.
The Warhawks (13-1 overall), who were playing in their 13th semifinal round in the last 16 years, conclude the season following their 38th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and 17th appearance in the NCAA Division III Playoffs.
The Crusaders (14-0) totaled 309 yards through the air and held the ball for nearly 12 minutes in the fourth quarter to maintain their lead.
UW-Whitewater was held to 64 yards rushing and 271 yards of offense, and was limited to 5-of-15 conversions on third down.
Max Meylor finished 23-of-32 passing for 207 yards and one touchdown. Tyler Holte caught six passes for 91 yards and one touchdown, and Alex Peete rushed for 43 yards and tallied 38 yards receiving.
Mark McGrath led the defense with 10 tackles, while Shane McGrail finished with eight stops, including 1.5 for a loss. Thomas Wojnowski and Kyle Koelblinger collected seven tackles apiece.
After a scoreless first quarter, Mary Hardin-Baylor completed a 14-play, 82-yard drive in the end zone to take a 7-0 advantage with 13:00 on the clock.
After a UW-W turnover, the Crusaders scored another touchdown with 9:46 on the clock to double their advantage.
Following a UMHB field goal, the Warhawks drove 80 yards in 12 plays as Meylor hit Holte over the middle for a 9-yard score with 1:01 remaining in the second quarter.
Mary Hardin-Baylor scored on its first drive of the third quarter, punching it in on fourth and goal from the 1-yard line for a 24-7 advantage with 6:31 to play in the period.
UW-Whitewater was unable to get back in the scoring column the rest of the way.
**************************************************************************************************************************
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
December 11, 2021
Those who said that the outcome of the NCAA D III semifinal game would boil down to whether the #3 Warhawks could defend against # 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor’s passing prowess unfortunately “called it.” UW-W lost 24-7 to Mary Hardin-Baylor (MH-B) on December 11, with MH-B dominating on passing. It would have been 24-10 if the nearly-always reliable Matt Maldonado hadn’t had a missed field goal which commentators surmised was caused by wind. The championship game on December 17 in Canton, OH will feature defending champion North Central vs. MH-B. North Central beat UW-W by 41-14 in 2019; the 2020 game was canceled due to COVID-19. Attendance was 2519, compared with 1400 last week.
| UW-W | MH-B | |
| Pass | 207 | 309 |
| Rush | 64 | 69 |
| Total | 271 | 377 |
Here’s the link to a comprehensive article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, assuming you don’t hit a paywall.
Editor’s note: Tom Ganser provided photos from the drive-through Optimist event on December 4 where children could visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Optimist Club would like to thank the following for their help in making the Drive-Through Santa Event held on December 4, 2021 a success. Our local Culver’s donated Scoops coupons. Music was provided by Whitewater High School Choir members directed by Mrs. Karen Tordera and duets were played by Dr. Don Deal and his son Robert Wiley Deal. Bruce Parker and Rick and Jeanine Fassl helped with festive decorations. Laila Potts and Lanora Heim donated food goods to be distributed to attendees. Thank you to everyone who donated food to the Community Space.
Al Hutchison
President
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Whitewater Middle School. Congratulations to all of the students on the Honor Roll and/or who have had perfect attendance.
Clicking on the link below will display the Whitewater Middle School 1st Quarter honor Roll. The names with*’s in front of them are the students who have all A’s (4.0 GPA)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ap5svaqJOn4sQL3Ei_U1KkcVmqNUkJCg/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104848782081683843342&rtpof=true&sd=true
Shown below are the Whitewater Middle School students with 1st Quarter Perfect Attendance. These are students who have not been tardy to any classes or missed any classes at the Whitewater Middle School 1st quarter.
| 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade |
| Balazi, Abdulla | Alcala, Evelyn | Brautigam, Payton |
| Briggs, Archie | Amundson, Evan | Cansino-Pena, Emmanuel |
| Cease, Garrett | Cabrera – Ramirez, Zayuri | Clark, Peyton |
| Crone, Benjamin | Castillo, Madeling | Enns, David |
| Dennis, De’veah | Coblentz, Joel | Gonzalez, Desiree |
| Jagodzinski, Evan | Islas, Emy | Hartzheim, Calli |
| McQuillen, Jackson | Mbifi, Frank | Lavertu, Isabelle |
| Ophime, Lily | Meyer, Aidan | Navejas, Oswaldo |
| Pantoja Perez, Alexander | Palmer-Flintrop, Melina | Parker, Savannah E |
| Pelayo Ruelas, Robert | Pett, Trevor | Pena Perroni, Gabriella |
| Peterson, Colton | Pineda, Yuiman | Sortino, Rebecca |
| Sweeney, Alexander | Pond, Hayleigh | Vance-Kirichkow, Eli |
| Punzel, Blaze | ||
| Rodriguez Flores, Paola | ||
| Rodriguez, Eloy | ||
| Urban, Allison | ||
| Van Daele, Ava | ||
| Vaughn, Corbin | ||
| Verduzco, Marijose | ||
| Vubumuh, Berma B | ||
On December 19th, the Whitewater High School Music Masters Ensemble will present Music Masters Showcase. The concert theme is Miracle on 34th Street—Winter in New York. The event will take place in the Whitewater High School MPR and will include solos and small ensemble performances, as well as songs sung by the entire Music Masters Ensemble. The event will begin at 3:00 p.m. The $10 ticket per person includes the performance and refreshments. This is a special event of its kind at WHS you won’t want to miss! See any Music Masters Ensemble member, their director Karen Tordera, or the High School Office for tickets. Tickets should be purchased by December 10th. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Karen Tordera at ktordera@wwusd.org . #TheWhippetWay #1Family
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Whitewater High School.
A video presentation is available at https://youtu.be/Ha4rFgKhh-0
Obituaries
Lois Cummings, 99, of Fond du Lac, WI (formerly of Janesville, WI, Fort Atkinson, WI, Fountain Hills, AZ, and Green Valley, AZ) passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026 at the Meadows Senior Residence in Fond du Lac surrounded by family. Lois was born on February 17, 1927 in Fort Atkinson to Edward and Clarice (Roseth) Stevens. The middle child of 9 children, she attended Fort Atkinson schools and graduated in 1944. On September 11, 1948 Lois married Grant Cummings at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Delavan, WI. Together they had 3 children, Gary, Colleen (Tom) Sabel, and Patty (Paul) … Read more
Come celebrate William Kincaid’s Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 30th at 1 pm at Trippe Lake Park Pavillion in Whitewater. He truly enjoyed gatherings where his favorite foods and music could be enjoyed with some of his closest friends and family. We will honor him by carrying on one of his favorite traditions. Please bring your own beverages and chairs. There is limited seating. See you all there!
Gladys Jean (Riley) Hildebrandt, age 89, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 23, 2026. Gladys was born on December 26, 1936, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Theresa Egnoski Riley. She was married to Walter Sobolik Sr., and later married James A. Hildebrandt in 1976. Gladys was a hardworking woman who spent her life caring for others. She worked in school kitchens, restaurants, factories, and cleaning services. She concluded her working career as a full-time nanny. In that role, she lovingly cared for Andrew, Daniel, and Kaitlyn Drzewiecki, who became part of her chosen family. Gladys is survived by her sons, Wally … Read more
WHITEWATER – Nan Rowley died on April 15, 2026, at the age of 90. She was born on September 4, 1935, in a little house on the prairie in the Town of Johnstown, Wisconsin, the daughter of Wayne L. Wilbur and Florence (McQuillen) Wilbur. Nan attended primary schools in the towns of Johnstown and Richmond and in the City of Whitewater. Nan graduated with honors from Whitewater City High School. On June 19, 1954, Nancy and Ken Rowley were united in marriage in Whitewater and went to live on the Rowley family farm in Richmond. Over the years, Nan served … Read more
Marion H. Gorniak (nee Pfeiffer), 74, of Whitewater passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 11, 2026. She was born on October 24, 1951, to the late Harvey and Loraine (nee Drifke) Pfeiffer in Fort Atkinson, WI. On June 2, 1969, she was united in marriage to Alan Gorniak. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, and cooking, especially her rhubarb pies. She especially enjoyed spending time with family and friends and will be missed by all who knew her. Those Marion leaves behind to cherish her memory include her husband, Alan Gorniak; stepson, Alan Bauer; sister, Sue Ann Schultz, other relatives and friends. … Read more
Ruth Irene (Phelps) Justis, 88, of Appleton City, Missouri, passed away Friday morning, April 10, 2026, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg, MO, with her family by her side. Ruth was born June 3, 1937 in Janesville, Wisconsin, to Charles and Ada Mae (Maly) Phelps. She joined the Marine Corps in 1956. During her time there, she met and married her husband, Forest Wayne “Wayne” Justis in 1957. They shared 62 years of marriage and to this union, 2 children, Charles and Dorene, were born. Ruth grew up in Whitewater, WI., the oldest of three children. Ruth graduated from … Read more
Dorothy C. Kau, age 101, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at Fort Memorial Hospital. Dorothy was born on March 18, 1925 in Eagle on the family farm, the daughter of John and Katherine (Faestel) VonRueden. Dorothy was a 1942 graduate of Palmyra High School. On May 21, 1949, Dorothy was united in marriage to Alvin E. Kau at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Eagle and the Lord blessed their union with 8 children. Alvin and Dorothy enjoyed 50 years of marriage together until Alvin’s death in the year 2000. Dorothy enjoyed being a farm … Read more
Dorothy E. McCracken, 95, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025, in Sarasota, Florida. Born on April 14, 1930, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Carl and Joyce Meyer, Dorothy grew up in Whitewater and graduated from Whitewater High School. She then worked for a photographer and hand painted his first colored portraits, until she got married. She and her first husband, Bernard Wafle, owned and operated a 179-acre dairy farm in Helenville, Wisconsin, for 25 years before relocating to Ocala, Florida, in 1979. Dorothy later married Earl McCracken, in Ocala, Fl. She also shared a special companionship later in life with … Read more
Carol Ann Seebruch, 88 of Whitewater passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, April 3, 2026. Carol was born July 12, 1937 in Chicago IL to William and Ann Borovec. She married Marvin Seebruch on June 9, 1984. Carol and Marvin enjoyed traveling the United States making it to 48 of the 50 states. She also enjoyed her time with the Red Hat Ladies. She loved taking pictures of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Carol is survived by her three children; Bill Anderson of Fort Atkinson, WI, Terri Laban of Whitewater, WI, and Donna (Mike) Jones of Crivitz, WI. She … Read more
Entered God’s Kingdom on Friday, April 3, 2026, age 65. Donna is survived by her cousins, other family and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents James and Lois (Michels) Lyons. Donna was raised in the Church of Nazarene, with her father being the assistant pastor. Religion was very important to Donna. Donna enjoyed working with the students of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, where she resided. Donna also loved to travel, visiting France, Italy, and all around the United States. She also loved to paint, cross-stitch, knit, and crochet. She also loved collecting recipes and trying … Read more
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