Man who fell on ice has died

 Neighbors in Barton mourned the loss of Jeff Dolde, 61, this week after word came he fell on the ice and spent the overnight outdoors. Dolde died a week after being hospitalized.

On January 17, WashingtonCountyInsider.com reported Dolde, locally known as Schnapps, fell on the ice just outside Bagg End Tavern.

Dolde was walking Monday evening. Friends said he apparently could not get up and every time he tried he slid further from the road. Dolde reportedly hit his head and was found in the snowbank outside the closed tavern the next morning.

Dolde was taken to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. Friends said he was walking and talking and appeared to be recovering. Word came Tuesday, Jan. 24 that he died.

Services will be held at a later date.

Rev. Haines appointed Auxiliary Bishop by Milwaukee Archdiocese

Former St. Frances Cabrini priest Rev. Jeffrey Haines has been appointed by Pope Francis as Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Details from the Archdiocese are below.

Milwaukee native Fr. Jeffrey R. Haines has been appointed by Pope Francis as Auxiliary Bishops for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.  The appointments were announced in Rome, January 25, and Haines will be ordained bishop by Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.  The ordination date has not been announced, but should be within the next five-to-eight weeks.

“Praised be Jesus Christ; this is a proud moment for the Church in southeastern Wisconsin,” Archbishop Listecki said.

Auxiliary bishops serve the Church by assisting the archbishop in the pastoral and spiritual leadership of the archdiocese.  They assist the diocesan bishop in his role as shepherd – teaching, leading, serving and celebrating the sacraments with the people of God.

“I always have considered the vocation of priestly ministry in the Church to be the greatest of gifts, because each and every day I am blessed with the opportunity to proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament and thus encounter Him in the people I serve,” said bishop-elect Haines.

“This ‘new calling’ as an Auxiliary Bishop brings the grace-filled opportunity to expand the parameters of this joyful service to the whole archdiocese.  I am profoundly humbled by this calling and keenly aware of my shortcomings, but I find strength and inspiration in the powerful presence and vitality of the Holy Spirit emerging in the implementation of our recent Archdiocesan Synod.  I look forward to assisting Archbishop Listecki in fulfilling the pastoral priorities of this mission.  I give praise to God and thanksgiving to His Holiness Pope Francis for the honor of this Episcopal appointment.”

Bishop-elect Haines, 58, was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1985, by Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland, O.S.B., and is currently serving as Rector and Pastor of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee.

After ordination in 1985, Father Haines was appointed Associate Pastor of St. Nicholas in Milwaukee. In 1996, he was appointed pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in West Bend.  He was granted temporary leave to study canon law at Catholic University in 2002.  In 2003, he returned as Pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in West Bend, and was given additional responsibility as assisting priest of Immaculate Conception/St. Mary’s, West Bend in 2004.  In 2011, he was appointed Rector of the Cathedral.

Ooh La La… accessories closing

After nearly 8 years in business Ooh La La…. accessories in downtown West Bend is closing.

Shop owner Kim Riley posted this note: “We are saddened to say that Ooh La La… accessories will be retiring our West Bend location.

It has been a true honor to be part of the West Bend community and business district. We have been blessed to have such wonderful friends come into our lives over the past 8 years! We hope to continue our friendships at our Menomonee Falls location. It is still our mission to help you with “adorable and affordable” fashion accessories.

Also, I want to assure everyone that gift certificates you may have from West Bend are always welcomed at our Menomonee Falls store. Thank you all for your friendship and love. Sincerely, Kim Riley

Downtown WB Theatre will be featured Sunday on CBS 58

This Sunday the downtown West Bend Theatre will be featured in a story on CBS 58. Photojournalist Dan Blanchard spent some time on N. Main Street this week talking to a couple of entities involved in the debate over the future of the theatre.

The facility is owned by neither party but plans have been drawn up and funding has been raised by at least one party. Mayor Kraig Sadownikow was interviewed for the piece, although the city has zero to do with the project since the building is privately owned.

Claire Rolfs was also interviewed for the piece about her proposal to keep the facade of the building and take the back end and make it into an open-air amphitheater.

Slinger grad named Big 10 Conference Field Athlete of the Week

Slinger High School alum Kiley Sabin is making a name for herself in the college ranks. The 2014 grad is a sophomore thrower on the University of Minnesota women’s track & field team.

This week the 20-year-old Sabin was named the Big Ten Conference Field Athlete of the Week after breaking Minnesota’s program record in the shot put to lead the Gophers to an 82-80 win over Wisconsin in the third-annual Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual.

Sabin threw 17.17m (56-04.00) to win the shot put, improving on one of Minnesota’s oldest program records by nearly two feet.

When Sabin was in high school she was already making her mark, not only athletically but also academically. The 4-time track-and-field letter winner was on National Honor Society and German National Honor Society. Sabin owns Slinger school records in the shot put (46-2) and the discus (143-0).

Students from Holy Angels, Cabrini and St. Mary’s attend March for Life in D.C.

This week a delegation of 17 students and 5 chaperones from the West Bend Catholic Churches of Holy Angels, Saint Frances Cabrini, and St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception attended the National March for Life in Washington, D.C. The March for Life is an annual event that “provides all Americans with a place to testify to the beauty of life and the dignity of each human person.”

Catholic Schools Week Jan. 29 – Feb. 4 – the value of a parochial education

Catholic Schools Week is about to get underway across Washington County as schools participate in Mass, dress-up day and the naming of the winner of the Mother Cabrini award. On that note we reached out to graduates of parochial schools in the community to get their reflections on how a Catholic School education impacted their life.

Ann Enright: I attended Holy Trinity Catholic School, Kewaskum, from 1951-1959.  Our teachers were nuns from the order of The Sisters of St. Agnes. Their motherhouse was and still is in Fond du lac, WI.

There were four classrooms with two grades per room.  The nuns were pious about their faith, well educated and loved their jobs. They expected respect and students to work up to their abilities, no less.

Demanding quality personal effort was a motivator for me which I have continued to apply in my careers as wife, mother, real estate broker and citizen.

English, History and Geography were my favorite subjects.  High School classes were a breeze because I had such a good foundation.   I think I can still diagram a sentence and say most of the Gettysburg Address thanks to those nuns.

Religion was taught with enthusiasm and that enthusiasm has remained with me to the present.  I am still learning and taking Bible classes.

Jayne A Peplinski: I feel very blessed I was able to attend a Catholic School.  The education I received was fantastic.  I was able to attend higher-level classes in high school because of it. I also am grateful for the religious education I received. It wasn’t just in religion class, but in all classes.

They incorporated the importance of being kind to each other and treating others like we would treat ourselves into each lesson. I believe this has helped me throughout my life. It was such a wonderful experience for me that my husband and I moved back to West Bend many years ago so all of our 5 children could attend the school I did; St Frances Cabrini.  I have thanked my parents many times for their sacrifice to send me and all my siblings to a Catholic school.

Updates & tidbits

–There will be ice racing on Wallace Lake to raise money for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Washington County is Sunday, Feb. 12 at Eddie’s Lake House (formerly Pier 144) at 7138 Highway 144 N, West Bend. Southwest side of the lake. Spectators watch for free, beverages and food available.

–It’s been a beehive of activity at the new Mad Max, 1229 S. Main St. in West Bend. The gas station/convenience store/coffee shop opened Friday morning.

-Good news for the Walk for a Cure for Diabetes held at Ridge Run Park in West Bend. The American Diabetes Association ranked the walk No. 11 in the 2016 Top 20 list of Community Walk Events.  Dave Reed organizes the event.  In three years it has raised $2,164.  “This is a real grassroots effort and the people who are involved are normally touched by diabetes,” said Reed.

-United Way of Washington County will hold its annual celebration Thursday, Feb. 2 at the West Bend Mutual Insurance Prairie Center. Watch for a new 2017 campaign chair to be announced.

-There’s a group deploying to Afghanistan from the National Guard and a ceremony will be held Feb. 2 in West Bend. Either Gov. Scott Walker or Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch will be in attendance.

–  This year’s West Bend Youth Football Fundraiser, “The Washington County Beer Tasting” is Friday, Feb. 3 2017 at Washington County Fair Park.

-On Feb. 8 the City of West Bend will be hosting a Community Blood Drive at City Hall from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The American Red Cross remains in the midst of a severe blood shortage and has issued an

-West Bend West H.S. alum Jamie Griffin rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange this week. Griffin, who graduated Class of 1999, is executive director with Women in Bio, Inc.

-The City of West Bend officially has a new clerk in office. During Monday night’s Common Council meeting Megan Gundrum swore in Stephanie Justmann.

– Casa Tequila will host the viewing party for the Borden family as they will be featured on Family Feud on Feb 6 on WVTV Channel 18. The show starts at 6 p.m. Liz Borden advises people get there by 5:30 p.m. if they want to purchase tacos or drinks.

-The Family Adventure Pool at the Kettle Moraine YMCA reopened this week. The pool was recently cleaned, the deck stained and new play features including a bulldozer slide were added.

-Longtime Assistant County Attorney Brad Stern has been appointed the new Washington County Attorney.  Stern has served as an Assistant County Attorney since 2004.

-I was leaving the West Bend Public Library the other day and a man held open the door for me. I recognized him but just couldn’t remember his name.

Me: Thank you. How are you?

Man: Good, how are you?

Me: Good.

Man: I ran into your husband the other day.

Me: Really? ..said genuinely surprised. Did you tell him he should come home?

WWI nurse Thecla Richter from West Bend              By Lee Krueger

Resident historian Lee Krueger is looking to highlight his great aunt Thecla Richter, who served as a nurse during WWI.

During the years after “The Great War” Thecla Richter was asked to make a number of presentations telling about her time in France as a Red Cross Nurse.  The following introduction to one of these talks was written by Edith Heidner, noted West Bend historian and good friend of Ms. Richter.

World War I started in 1914. At that time the countries involved included Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain. Assisting Great Britain were her colonies which included Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Canada. The year of 1916 was a horrible year in the War with a staggering loss of life. The battles of Verdun and Sommes, alone, had resulted in over two million casualties. It appeared that this horrific loss of life would continue into 1917.

The United States did not enter the war until April 6, 1917. After the declaration of war it would take a number of months to organize the U.S. effort and to get troops and supplies ready to be deployed to Europe.

Small groups of civilians could react more quickly and, immediately after our country’s declaring war on Germany, a group of doctors affiliated with Northwestern University organized a medical unit to give service during this World War.

Representatives of this group were sent to the various hospitals associated with Northwestern University to obtain volunteers to join the unit.  The personnel of this newly formed unit were to consist of 35 doctors, 60 nurses and 200 enlisted men.

The newly formed medical team was on its way to Europe within a month.  But, because there were no American units on European soil, the deployment plan had the group joining the Red Cross, being assigned to and working with British units that were already deployed.

This Red Cross medical unit included Thecla Richter, a West Bend nurse, who felt the need to serve her country and who had recently graduated from the Northwestern University School of Nursing.

History photo – Celebrating Catholic Schools Week

As we prepare to celebrate Catholic Schools Week we take a look at Holy Angels classroom from 1941. Photo courtesy Karen Halverson.