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Today is Monday, June 22, 2026
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Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Janesville Little Theatre.
Season Opener
First Live Show Since Theatre Productions Halted Due to COVID-19
It’s ‘lights up’ once again for the Janesville Little Theatre (JLT) as the cast and crew of
Steel Magnolias debut their first show of the 2021-22 season, and the first live show
since theatre productions were halted due to the COVID pandemic. Show dates are
October 29, 30 and 31 and November 5, 6 and 7, 2021 at the Janesville Performing
Arts Center.
Steel Magnolias, written by Robert Harling and directed by JLT’s Steve Shaw, features
an all-female cast set in a popular Chinquapin, Louisiana beauty salon, where ladies
from an upper-crust social scene come to have their hair done.
The play is plentiful with wise-cracks and colorful characters, hilarious repartee and a
few sharp-tongued but humorously revealing verbal collisions. As the plot moves
towards tragedy and a realization of one’s mortality, it also draws on strength and love,
which give the play and its characters company in a truly touching, funny and
marvelously amiable way — in good times and bad.
The cast includes Candace Griffin as Annelle; Mary Beth Klietz as Truvy; Melissa
Defebaugh as Claree; Saralyn Duncan as Shelby; Stephanie Boettcher as M’Lynn;
and Whitewater Resident Laura Johnson as Ouiser.
“We are so looking forward to entertaining our patrons again after a too-long hiatus. I
have an excellent cast and we are very excited to be presenting Steel Magnolias, a
wonderful play with a great heart,” Shaw says.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.janesvillepac.org. Purchase your tickets online or by phone at 608-758-0297. There are no walk-up sales for the time being. All tickets must be purchased in advance. If a wheelchair or aisle seat is needed because of a physical issue please let the box office know in advance.
Masks must be worn by every person entering JPAC. Masks are required to be worn at all times.
There are no paper tickets or will call. Prior to the performance, JPAC staff will make a seating chart with the pre-purchased tickets. An usher will greet you and take you to your socially distanced seat. At the conclusion of the event, the seats will be released from the back of the theatre first. We encourage you to exit directly to the parking lot.
Janesville Little Theatre (JLT) is Wisconsin’s oldest community theatre group, and one of the three oldest
in the United States. Founded in 1929, the group staged its first major play in 1930 and has produced a
series of plays each season, without interruption, ever since. JLT membership is open to anyone who is
a lover of theatre and supporter of the arts. JLT is staffed by community volunteers and governed by
a Board of Directors elected by its members.
It’s time again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society!
This week’s image shows Howard Winn (1888-1974) at his desk in the Railway Express Office in Whitewater along with customers or employees. The Railway Express was similar to today’s FedEx or UPS, arranging with the railroads to transport freight and packages. This image was probably taken around 1920 when the Express Office was located across from the Whitewater Depot on Whitewater Street. By the late 1940s, the Express Office had moved into the old freight depot (demolished 1990). Howard Winn worked for the Express company for 48 years (1911-1959) until the office closed. Jeff and Harvey Winn (grandsons) recently donated the desk to the museum.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society collections!
(photo donated by Jeff & Harvey Winn, Whitewater Historical Society)
Per an article in the Janesville Gazette, “Former Parker standout athlete Ryan Callahan, now the athletic director at UW-Whitewater, had the best of both worlds Thursday night when he served as guest speaker at the Janesville Sports Hall of Fame’s 2020 induction banquet.
The banquet—delayed a year due to COVID-19—saw Mistie McCray Bass, Ron Brown, John Koebler, Joe Shere and Anne Sonka Nagle added to the Janesville Sports Hall of Fame.
The event also gave Callahan a chance to talk about two things he loves: UW-Whitewater athletics and growing up in Janesville.”
To read the rest of the article courtesy of Yahoo News click here.
You know it’s October in Whitewater when the members of the Whitewater Lions Club are fixin’ and mixin’ their famous pancake batter. Sadly, with another increase in cases of the COVID-19 Virus, we will again have to forego our beautiful in-clubhouse settings. This year, on Sunday October 31th the Lions will be hosting another Drive Thru Pancake Breakfast. As always, the profits will be donated to the Whitewater Food Pantry. The golden-brown pancakes, delightful fluffy scrambled eggs and delicious sausages will be prepared, packaged and handed to you as you drive through the Lions parking lot at N7462 Kettle Moraine Drive.
The Drive Thru will be open for business from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
THANK YOU for your generous free-will donations.
Make checks payable to the Whitewater Lions Club. We will also be accepting non-perishable food items for the Whitewater Food Pantry.
In conjunction with the Lions Club Drive Thru Breakfast, the Whitewater Lions are conducting a 50/50 Raffle that includes a bonus prize. The winner of the second drawing will win an intimate Barrel-Celler Wine Tasting for two at the Staller Estate Winery, Delavan. (A $100 Value!) Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. Tickets are available at the breakfast or contact any Whitewater Lion or Lion Larry Runoe at (262) 473-3076.
Drawing will occur at the Lions Meeting to be held on November 9, 2021.
Our thanks to Carol McCormick for sharing this interesting photo. Carol writes, “Photographed through a patio screen, it appears that bird baths are community property! Thank goodness she didn’t decide to take a bath!”
— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share. Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage. Thanks for thinking about this!
Whitewater Volleyball defeated Big Foot Thursday, October 7th, 3-1 by the scores of 25-21, 12-25, 25-19 and 25-18.
Avery Hintz 
Cali Kopecky
Many players contributed to the team’s success Thursday night. Jenna Pope dominated at the net with 6 total blocks and added 4 kills. Jenna played confidently and was able to shut down Big Foot’s middle attack.
Freshman Calli Grosinske had her best match setting for the year. She did an outstanding job distributing her sets and worked hard to set our middle in transition.
Seniors Nikita Hartzheim and Savannah Hill had breakout games. Nikita came in and served tough, hitting Big Foot’s seams, which kept them out of system. Savannah Hill played her best game to date, having solid contact on the ball when hitting, and helping provide a strong block.
Sophomore Aidyn Amundson had her best game to date, also. She worked really hard to close blocks and be up and available to hit. She is getting more and more confident each time she plays.
The Whippets have one more conference match on Thursday, October 14, in Clinton. They will close out the regular season at the Rock Valley Conference Tourney in Edgerton on Saturday, October 16th.
Stat Leaders:
Aces: Kindyl Kilar-3
Kills: Kindyl Kilar-24
Blocks: Jenna Pope-6
Assists: Avery Hintz-16, Calli Grosinske-12
Digs: Kindyl Kilar-23
Article Submitted by Kathy Bullis
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
kbullis@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Bob and Peter Mischka
Our thanks to Tom Ganser for sharing these photos of the fun Homecoming activities on October 1 and the dance on October 2.
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
According to an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (MJS), Stephanie Goettl Vander Pas, a UW-W graduate and former Whitewater Common Council member, filed a complaint on October 5 in U.S. District Court alleging that university officials were aware of Pete Hill’s sexually abusive behavior and failed to take timely action to stop it. Hill was the husband of former Chancellor Beverly Kopper, and he was banned from campus in 2018 after an investigation into sexual harassment of students and staff members.
MJS indicated that Jeffrey Angileri, UW-W Executive Director of University Marketing and Communication, referred questions to the UW System. UW System spokesman Mark Pitsch said Wednesday: “We just received this, and do not comment on pending litigation.”
Click here for an article in the LaCrosse Tribune.
Click here for an article in the Lake Geneva Regional News.
Obituaries
Marion Jauch Burrows (Feb. 2, 1930 – June 5, 2026) Her sparkling eyes, warm laugh, and generous ways were gifts Marion brought into this world, touching family members and friends alike over the ninety-six years of her life. She was born and raised in Lombard, IL, and in the course of her life lived with her husband and growing family in Abilene, TX, St. David’s, PA, Arkadelphia, AR, Ada, OK, and Colorado Springs, CO, before settling in Whitewater, WI, in 1965. Generosity of heart, compassion toward those in need in and beyond her community, and an unwavering commitment to fairness … Read more
Patricia “Pat” Lynn Bailey, age 70, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2026 with her daughter by her side. Pat was born February 21, 1956 in Ann Arbor, Michigan to John and Ruth (Hudock) Prentice. After a brief time in Ann Arbor, the Prentice family moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin, where Pat grew up as part of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater community, where her father served as University Registrar. Pat attended the University School and later graduated from UW Whitewater with a degree in Elementary Education. Although she did not pursue teaching, she built a meaningful career in Human … Read more
Gemelino Paris Esperante, 83, long time resident of Whitewater, passed away on Thursday, June 4th, 2026. He was born on January 10, 1943, to his late father and mother, Evaristo and Carmen in Spain. In 1973 he moved to the United States as a sheep herder. On August 21, 1981, he was united in marriage to Cyndie Esperante in Colorado. Gemelino also worked in Mining and construction for many years. He enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, raising sheep and growing things in his garden, and flowers. He will be missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife … Read more
Mary Ann Warner died peacefully on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at Crestridge Assisted Living in Dodgeville. Her physical heart failed, but her actual, loving heart never did. Ann was born June 28, 1939 to Mary and Charles Kearns in Iowa. She moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin and graduated with many dear friends in the class of 1957. Ann married John Warner on September 19, 1959. They lived in Whitewater, Sturgis Michigan, and finally settled in Janesville where they built a beautiful life and raised their family. Together, they ran a business, traveled, played cards, and enjoyed their lives. When they became … Read more
Patricia Ann Jacobson (Bureau), age 81, of Whitewater, WI, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI. Born on September 2, 1944, in Marquette, MI, to the late Donald and Margaret Bureau, Pat grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She graduated from Graveraet High School, attended Michigan State University, and later earned her bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University. Pat dedicated her professional life to shaping young minds, working as an elementary and junior high school teacher in both Flint, MI, and Whitewater, WI. At the heart of Pat’s life was a beautiful, … Read more
In loving memory of Lois Lauritzen, age 92, who passed away on June 1, 2026 at Lakewood Memory Care in Brookfield. Lois led an active life full of devotion to family and friends. Born July 14th, 1933 in Silvis, IL, daughter of Harry and Elsie Wilson, she grew up in the Quad Cities with older brother Harry Wilson Jr. Lois graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL with a degree in physical education. She met her husband Paul Lauritzen on the college tennis team. Their marriage on June 12th, 1955 lasted 59 years until Paul’s death on September 26th, … Read more
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
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