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Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Walworth County Administration Department.
The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Walworth County will
host an Open House on Friday, May 20, from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the Walworth County Health and Human Services building located at 1910 County Road NN, Elkhorn.
The Open House will feature musical entertainment, snacks, information, and free bingo provided by the Walworth County Council of the American Legion. The event is a celebration of Older Americans Month, a national observance that pays tribute to the contributions of older persons in our communities. The 2022 Older Americans theme is Age My Way; an opportunity for all of us to explore the many ways older adults can remain in and be involved with their communities.
“We are very excited to offer an in-person social opportunity for older adults in Walworth County, celebrating life, longevity, and the many contributions they have made to society while they aged their way,” says Randy Kohl, manager of the ADRC.
The Open House is free and RSVPs are not required. Check out the new Health and Human
Services building and have fun socializing with other older adults.
The National Honor Society hosted an event called, “International Student Exchange Celebration Day” at Whitewater High School on Saturday, May 7. The international students, Jihwan Beck from South Korea and Miyu Takeda from Japan, reflected on their year in America, how much they loved their host families, friends, and teachers at WHS, and how the experience has changed their lives.
The students had fun playing an international Kahoot game, took pictures with flags and the world map, and then went bowling and ate pizza at UW-Whitewater Warhawk Alley. Thank you, NHS, for sponsoring and hosting this fun day.
Participating NHS members were: Savannah Hill, Shane Kinson, Audrey Mayer, Haley Street, Sophia Walton, Tyler Arnett, Jake Kuhlow, Alexandra Martin, Courtney Meyer, Aileen Perez-Aguilar, Skylar Staebler, Maria Verduzco, and Caleigh Yang.
Article and Photos Submitted by Pamela Sonmor-Wintz
Whitewater High School National Honor Society Advisor
psonmorwintz@wwusd.org
City of Whitewater Plan and Architectural Review Commission – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
This meeting is IN-PERSON and VIRTUAL
City of Whitewater Municipal Building – Community Room
312 W. Whitewater St.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
httDS://meet.aoto.com/807624629
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (571) 317-3122
Access Code: 807-624-629
Whitewater Unified School District Employee Handbook Committee – Tuesday @ 3:45 p.m.
Agenda (Click on “meetings” in upper right corner.)
William D. Kyle Board Room
419 South Elizabeth Street
City of Whitewater Public Works Committee – Tuesday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
Municipal Building – 1 Floor
Community Room
312 W. Whitewater St.
“West Side Story”
Tuesday, May 10, 1 p.m.
(Musical/Drama/Romance) Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 36 minutes (2021)
This reimagining of the 1961 classic musical was nominated for Best Picture, and garnered a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Ariana DeBose. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it stars Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, and Rita Moreno.
On Thursday, May 5, the Whitewater Whippets traveled to East Troy to play the Trojans in girls’ soccer. The teams played a fast-paced game that ended 3-1 in favor of East Troy.
The Trojans’ goals were scored by Robyn Sonderegger (8′), Callie Nelson (10′), and Lauren Stroh. Trojan goalkeeper Becca Barber had two saves. The Whippets’ goal was scored off a corner kick by Caelyn Caputo (80′).
Marina Linos had eight saves in goal for Whitewater.
Article Submitted by Maddy Blain
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Soccer Coach
mblain@wwusd.org
File Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
At the end of each season the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association honors students for their academic excellence in the classroom. Whitewater is privileged to have seven wrestlers from the 2021-22 wrestling team achieve this honor.
Carter Friend received 2nd team honors, while Cooper Hammond, Mason DePorter, CJ Tomomitsu, Aaron Porras, Sebastian Cuellar, and Nathaniel Holden received Academic All-State Honorable Mention.
The criterion for this award is that the student-athletes must have a minimum of a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. They receive points based on multiplying their GPA by 100, point per varsity win, and points based on state placement or qualifier. There were 595 student-athletes nominated for this award who met the credentials. The top 20 in each grade level are 1st team and the next 20 are second team at each grade level.
Congratulations to these young student-athletes as this is a great accomplishment for them. They continue to make WWUSD proud.
Article Submitted by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Fort HealthCare.
Fort HealthCare Women Who Care (WWC) is hosting a special membership event at Riverstone Premier Event Center on Thursday, May 12 from 5:00-7:30 p.m. Riverstone Premier is located at 1905 Central Coast in Fort Atkinson. Existing members, guests, and those interested in membership are encouraged to attend. The event is free for existing members, and $25.00 for non-members. WWC asks guests to RSVP to wwc@forthc.com, or by calling (920) 568-5465.
Humorist Sandra Bernhardt will be the featured guest speaker. A resident of Fort Atkinson, Bernhardt has kept people laughing for more than 30 years. She is a UW-Whitewater graduate and mother of three sons. The membership event will also celebrate the positive impact that WWC has had on our local communities, and guests will hear from existing members about how participation in WWC has impacted their lives.
Riverstone Premier will provide hors d’oeuvres and desserts. A cash bar will also be available. Adding to the evening’s festivities will be a May Basket Silent Auction and 50/50 raffle. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase, but those that bring additional guests to the event will receive an additional ticket per guest.
About Women Who CARE
Women Who CARE has its roots in the Women’s Giving Circle established by the Fort Memorial Hospital Foundation in 2004. A group of area women gathered for lunch once a quarter for information and inspiration about their health and well-being. Member contributions were gathered to fund various services at Fort HealthCare. A wide variety of projects were included over the years including hospital equipment, new health and wellness services, and scholarships.
In 2014, a group of members had an idea to expand the way the group functioned. Their idea was to engage the membership to determine ways in which the group could make a measurable impact on the health and well-being of people in our area. From that beginning, a group of philanthropic-minded women was formed, setting out to identify opportunities of service to our area, such as School-Based Behavioral Health Services, School Nurse leadership training, and forward-thinking initiatives focused on women’s health equity. For more information about Women Who CARE, visit www.forthealthcare.com/wwc.
On Thursday, April 28, Whitewater Girls’ Soccer hosted Big Foot-Williams Bay High School in a conference game. It was a very close match, with Big Foot ultimately winning 2-1.
Whitewater had 14 shots on goal, with Natalia Sortino scoring for the Whippets. Madison West and Annie Sanchez scored for Big Foot, which had six shots on goal.
Whitewater goalkeeper Marina Linos had four saves, and Maylani Venegas had nine saves in goal for Big Foot.
On Monday, May 2, the Whippets traveled to McFarland. The teams played a physical game, with McFarland winning 11-1.
Goals for McFarland were scored by Grace Breuchel (7′, 25′, 55′, 64′, 67′), Elise Gillen (12′, 21′, 26′), Lucia Matenaer (24′), Avery Pennenkamp (39′), and Sierra Binger (60′). Whitewater’s goal was scored on a free kick by Mayte Navejas (53’).
Marina Linos fielded 22 shots on goal and 13 corner kicks by McFarland, coming away with 13 saves for the Whippets. Avery Weaver played in goal for McFarland.
Article Submitted by Maddy Blain
Whitewater High School Head Soccer Coach
mblain@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Obituaries
Donald Walter Triebold passed on to his eternal home on May 21, 2026. Don was born on April 23, 1935, in Evanston, IL, to the late Frederick W. and Mildred (nee Stecher) Triebold. Through his teen years, Don lived and worked on the family’s dairy farm, where he developed a life-long work ethic. His first eight years of education were in a one-room country schoolhouse, in which all eight grades were taught by one teacher. He graduated from Whitewater City High School in 1953 and then graduated from UW Whitewater in 1958 with a degree in Business Education. He continued his education, and earned a Master’s … Read more
William Kincaid Davis, age 84, passed away on Tuesday, May 19 at Agrace Hospice Center in Fitchburg. He was born on November 1, 1941, in Madison, Indiana, the second son of Salvation Army Officers Agnes (Dixon) and William C. Davis. He attended several schools in Indiana and Illinois, including University of Illinois Experimental High School (Champaign), and graduated from Galesburg High School in 1958. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UW-Eau Claire in 1964 and his master’s degree from UW-Whitewater in 1972. He had an expansive career in education, beginning as an English teacher in Whitehall, Thornton Township (IL) and … Read more
Magdalene “Maggie” Stetter (nee Fritz), 79, of Whitewater, Wisconsin passed from this life onto the next on Monday, May 4, 2026. She was born on January 16, 1947, to the late John and Mary (Presser) Fritz in St. Stefan, Austria. Maggie immigrated from Austria with her parents and brother, became a US citizen, and grew up and attended school in West Allis, WI and then graduated with a teaching degree from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Maggie served as a substitute, English, and German language teacher in the Whitewater, Elkhorn, Delavan, and Palmyra schools and at Divine Word Seminary. Maggie … Read more
Lawrence “Larry” C. Hartung, a proud Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War, and longtime resident of Fort Atkinson, WI, passed away peacefully at his home on May 1, 2026. Larry was born June 7th, 1949, to Levon and Charles Hartung in Chicago, IL. Larry enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1968 and served 3 consecutive tours in the Vietnam War. During this time, he became pen pals with his future wife, Candy, via a connection through his father. In 1970, he came home on leave to marry Candy. They celebrated 55 years of marriage on October 31st, 2025. During … Read more
Leo E. Wurzer, 65, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at his home. Leo was born on April 15, 1961 in Kenosha, Wisconsin to Cyril and Shirley (McNeil) Wurzer. He grew up between Pleasant Prairie and Antigo, spending his childhood summers on his uncle’s farm where he discovered his love for all things tractors. Although he never had a farm of his own, he was able to partially fulfill his dream by working as a driver for Robin’s Trucking in Whitewater, WI in his last days and collecting miniature Tonka toys. He began his career … Read more
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
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