1

Bio: Ayers, Jean Marie (Birth - 1959)

 

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

 

Surnames: Ayers, Thompson

 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) December 10, 1959

 

Ayers, Jean Marie (Birth - 6 December 1959)

 

A daughter was born to State Traffic Officer and Mrs. Donald Ayers of New Lisbon, weighing seven pounds, in a Tomah hospital, December 6.  She has been named Jean Marie.  Mrs. Ayers is the former Carol Thompson of Neillsville.  They have a son who will be three years old in January.


2

Bio: Tobola, Joseph – 89th Birthday (Mar 1976)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Tobola, Hedler, Rowan, Koskinen, Whirry, Lotze, Nyseth, Miller, Polnaszek, Bogumill

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 18 Mar 1976

On the occasion of the 89th birthday of Joseph Tobola, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Hedler entertained guests at their home on Sunday, March 14, 1976: Mr. and Mrs. Tom Tobola, Mr. and Mrs. John Rowan and family of Cadott, Mrs. Helen Koskinen, Mr. and Mrs. Vern Whirry, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Lotze, Mrs. Elizabeth Nyseth of Eau Claire, Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Hedler and children of Cedar Falls, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Tobola of Chippewa Falls, Mr. and Mrs. Phil Miller and girls of Stanley, Mr. and Mrs. William Tobola and Joseph, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Tobola and girls, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Polnaszek and Mrs. Helen Bogumill of Thorp.


3

Bio: Lust, John A. – U.S. Marine Private – Recruit Training (18 Sep 1976)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Lust

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 18 Mar 1976

Marine Private John A. Lust, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Lust of 202 East Elm Street, Thorp, Wisconsin, was graduated from recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.

Physical conditioning, discipline and teamwork are emphasized during Marine recruit training.

Classes include instruction in close order drill, Marine Corps history, first aid, uniform regulations and military customs and courtesies.


4

News: Thorp – Jaycees Hold Charter Banquet (22 Mar 1976)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Market, Vircks, Gilbert

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 25 Mar 1976

The newly formed Thorp chapter of the Jaycees held its charter banquet Monday, March 22, 1976 at the Legion Hall. Marv Market, U.S. Director of Region 1,, presents Gerry Vircks with a gavel, which Vircks will use as the chapter’s president.

About 60 persons attended the banquet, including members of Chippewa and Eau Claire chapters, and Bill Gilbert, state president of the Jaycees. Gilbert present the Thorp Jaycees with their charter and installed Vircks as the group’s first president.


5

News: Thorp Students Receive UW-Stout Honors (Mar 1976)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Kobylarczyk, Kotecki

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 25 Mar 1976

Two students from Thorp have been named to receive the Chancellor’s Award for academic excellence during the first semester at UW-Stout.

They are Ron Kobylarczyk, a sophomore majoring in hotel and restaurant management, and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Kobylarczyk, Route 1, and Tom Kotecki, a sophomore majoring in psychology, and the son of Mr. Anthony Kotecki, Route 1.

The award replaces what has been traditionally known as the Dean’s List, and is presented to students who have a semester grade point average of 3.5 or above.


6

Bio: Sackmann, Kenneth J. – Promote to Thorp Finance Assistant Mgr. (Mar 1976)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Sackmann, Broeren

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 25 Mar 1976

The promotion of Kenneth J. Sackmann to assistant manager of the Thorp Finance Corporation office in Ladysmith, has been announced by Jean C. Broeren, executive vice president.

Sackmann, who attended the UW-La Crosse, joined Thorp last year as a trainee at the Neillsville branch.

Sackmann is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Sackmann, Route 3, Box 204, Thorp, Wisconsin. Sackmann resides at 309 ½ W. Lake Avenue, Ladysmith, Wisconsin.


7

Bio: Melvin, Amy—Neillsville Author Publishes Nonfiction Book (2024)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Melvin

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/13/2024

Melvin, Amy—Neillsville Author Publishes Nonfiction Book (2024)



Amy Melvin, a Neillsville resident, self-published her new book “Full Speed In Reverse: Awakening Self-Worth, Happiness and Purpose.”

By June Thompson

Amy Melvin, of Neillsville, recently published her first nonfiction book, “Full Speed in Reverse: Awakening Self-worth, Happiness and Purpose.”

“It’s about going back—maybe you didn’t have a perfect beginning,” said Melvin.

The main reason she wrote this book is to help people find self-worth.
“It allows you to find inner happiness,” Melvin said. “It unleashes what you were born to be: your purpose.”

Melvin got the idea to write her book years ago.

“I’m a student of people,” she said. “I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2020.”

It took Melvin a year to write her book.

“It’s for people who didn’t get their self-worth from the people who raised them,” Melvin said. “Self-worth is missing from a lot of people, but you can create it.”

Melvin recollected her past and how it influenced her writing. It did not take her long to write the 116-page book. She took a year off, an unpaid sabbatical from her employer.

“I used my past to transform my future,” said Melvin. “That’s ‘Full Speed in Reverse.’”

Authors sometimes have writer’s block or challenges writing a book. But Melvin did not have writer’s block. She did have challenges when she wrote the beginning, though. She had to remember/relive tragic events in her life and write the truth of it.

Melvin said the most important aspect of “Full Speed in Reverse: Awakening Self-Worth, Happiness, and Purpose” is to build self-worth.

Melvin’s goal is for people to feel better about who they are; not about what they did not get.

She mentioned self-worth, happiness and purpose have “vast meanings.”

“They are different for everyone,” Melvin said. “People don’t spend time with themselves. We forget to focus on ourselves. My purpose is to inspire people.

“A lot of people feel that they didn’t get what they needed. These needs are pride in self, power of ‘yet,’ and hopes and dreams. It’s about being grateful for what you do have.”

Melvin understands people can be surviving something. She explained survival creates a barrier to what people cannot accept. In survival mode, people protect themselves.

Melvin’s experience gave her the insight to write this book to help others.

“The beginning is tough,” said Melvin. “Everybody goes through difficult times. If you never give up, you’ll always be striving to be better.”

Deciding on a title for her book, Melvin wanted something referencing the past.

“Don’t be afraid of your past,” Melvin said. “Use it for something positive.”

Melvin’s goal is to be a motivational speaker. She intends to write another book.

An excerpt from “Full Speed in Reverse: Awakening Self-Worth, Happiness and Purpose” reads:
“This book is dedicated to the ‘uns’—anyone who feels unloved, unimportant, unworthy, unusual and unwanted. May you never feel insignificant again. You are here for a reason. Realize happiness by finding the most important thing missing—self-worth. After that you’ll find self-love, and your purpose; right where it’s always been... inside yourself. May the only ‘un’ you ever feel again is unlimited…”

Melvin self-published her book with Amazon. She can be contacted at happyamy75@icloud.com

Melvin will be talking about her book at the Neillsville Public Library, Wednesday, March 20 at 6 p.m.
 

For more information contact the Neillsville Public Library 715-743-2558.


8

News: Clark Co. - Skiers Find Snow in “Snowless Winter” (2024)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Mohr, Schumacher, Weyer, Syth, Diggins

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/13/2024

Clark County Skiers Find Snow in “Snowless Winter” (2024)



James Mohr (left) completed his 45th American Birkebeiner ski race in Cable Feb. 24. Upon learning this, World Cup victor Gus Schumacher (right) met Mohr to congratulate him. Submitted Photo

During this winter of low snow and high temperatures, James Mohr had hopes of reaching milestones in two cross country ski marathons. With only two weeks of skiable snow at Levis Mounds, Mohr had to travel north to get his ski-legs in shape, and even then, it was on the artificial stuff blown out of snow cannons in Cable at the Birkebeiner trailhead.

Mohr was able to finish his 25th Noquemanon Ski Marathon at Marquette, MI, in late January due to an “adequate” amount of lake effect snow in the surrounding highlands. Even in traditional snow, county organizers were forced to shorten the race from 50 to 23 kilometers, avoiding unsafe lakes and minimally covered city trails. Though Mohr was one of the last finishers, he benefited from his “mature” status and won a Norwegian Moen ski bell for taking first in his age group.

“Of course,” Mohr said, “I was first only because I was the only contestant in the 75–79 age category.”
Mohr’s main goal for the winter was to complete his 45th American Birkebeiner race in Cable. Mohr said all winter-long organizers were hoping for a big dump of snow and cold temperatures, but both arrived in minimal amounts, and organizers resorted to making snow on the cold days and stockpiling it in huge snow mountains, just in case. Until a couple weeks before the Feb. 24 race, the “Birkie folks” still hoped to run the traditional course down to Hayward. However, this was not to happen and instead a virtual ribbon of snow was created, running from the trailhead along the former golf course so racers could do 10 kilometer loops.

This is what at least two of the skiers from Clark County did on the Wednesday and Thursday preceding the original Saturday race date. Bonnie Weyer of Loyal and Mohr skied three loops to earn a pin signifying another year finishing what some call “the Boston Marathon of cross country skiing.” Kevin Syth, of Greenwood, participated in the Birkebeiner 30 kilometer open-track skate race Thursday.

Then, on Saturday, Weyer and Mohr were able to watch Jessie Diggins, Olympic gold medalist, and Gus Schumacher, World Cup victor and the first American to win a gold medal in an individual race at the Junior World Ski Championships, win their respective elite races.

“A particular joy for me this year,” Mohr said, “was having several family members also participate in the Birkie: our son, Kurt, in the 30 [kilometer] race, our daughter Jenny and grandson Malcolm in the 20 [kilometer] Kortelopet race, and granddaughter Frances in the three [kilometer] Junior Birkie.
“We all stayed together in a rented condo on Lake Owen, cooking for one another, playing board games, and introducing a couple exchange students to ‘winter.’

“My wife, Karen, and I competed our time up north by volunteering at the medal stand on Sunday for the final classical race and having the pleasure of welcoming the final contestant of the week as he crossed the finish line.”

When Schumacher, who had just won the Men's 10 kilometer freestyle race at the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, MN, Feb. 18, learned that Mohr had just completed his 45th Birkie, Schumacher signed a poster of himself with “Jim, let’s go for 50 (or 60).”

“We shall see,” Mohr said.


9

News: Neillsville - Scouts Heard on the Air Waves (2024)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Low, Bushman, Walter, Kruschke, Schmitz

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/13/2024

Neillsville Scouts Heard on the Air Waves (2024)



Neillsville-area Girl Scouts Karcyn, Ryann, Ava, Stella, Beverly, and Ellyn were interviewed at WCCN and gave various historical facts about the organization and Gil Scouts Week. Submitted photo

The Neillsville Area Girl Scouts Karcyn, Ryann, Stella, Beverly and Ellyn appeared on WCCN to speak about Girls Scouts Week, explaining its structure and history.

The scouts explained the levels of the Girls Scouts: sprouts are in 4k, daisies are kindergarteners and first-graders, brownies are second and third graders, a junior is fourth and fifth graders, a cadette is sixth to eighth graders, a senior is 9th and 10th graders, and an ambassador is 11th and 12th graders.

The scouts explained Juliette Gordon Low, the Girl Scouts founder, organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, GA. The Girl Scouts of the USA was chartered by the US Congress on March 16, 1950.

As a Girl Scout, members “discover the fun, friendship and power of girls together,” and the Girl Scouts helps members “relate to others with increasing understanding, skills and respect.”

The scouts also explained the organization helps develop values to guide their actions and provide the base for sound decision making; and adds to the improvement of their community through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others.

It was remarked a trip to Savannah, GA is “always a great experience” and every Girl Scout should make it a goal to visit the organization’s birthplace.

The scouts said Girl Scouts love making new friends, traveling to new places and trying new things, and can grow brave and strong through a wide variety of experiences, such as field trips, skill-building activities, community service projects, candy sales and cookie sales.

Of course, it was added there is currently a Girl Scout Cookie sale happening. Booth sales started March 1 and will go to March 31. The scouts will sell cookies directly to the public at area businesses such as Russell's, Hanson's IGA, Schmitty's, Mama G's and the Neillsville American Legion.

Cookies this year are Adventurefuls, Toast-Yay! Lemonades, Trefoils, Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Caramel DeLites and Peanut Butter Sandwich. Their gluten-free option this year is Caramel Chocolate Chip.

The Girl Scouts also have a Cookie Share Service Project, allowing customers to purchase cookies to be donated to women and men serving in the military and to local shelters, frontline workers and food banks.

For assistance finding a Girl Scout, contact Tricia Bushman, Joely Walter, Andrea Kruschke or Shelly Schmitz.

Edward DuBois contributed to this article.


10

Bio: Frost, Trina Kallian - Teaches Class on PhotoWord Art (2024)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Frost, Harris

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/13/2024

Photographer Teaches Class on PhotoWord Art (2024)



Trina Kallian Frost held a PhotoWord Art at For Craft Sales March 2, showing attendees how to create art using objects in settings to make them resemble letters.

By June Thompson

A PhotoWord Art class was taught by Trina Kallian Frost at For Craft Sakes store March 2. Proprietor Diane Harris welcomed the artists and students to learn about this kind of art.

PhotoWord Art is an art form using photographed letters and images to create words. Those words can spell anything from people’s names to places. They can be framed and gifted.

Frost is a PhotoWord Art photographer, designer and artist. She started PhotoWord Art in 2010.

“I got the idea from reading SkyMall magazine on a flight somewhere in the world,” Frost said.

“PhotoWord Art is alphabet photography.”

Frost has traveled worldwide and photographed such places as the Eiffel Tower.

“It makes an awesome A,” Frost said.

Frost photographed a staircase in Switzerland.

“When you’re looking down, it looks like a J,” Frost said. “I do a lot with themes: travel, country, seascape, nautical structures, rustic scenes, nature and random objects and places.”

Many of the photos have letters; put together, words are created.

Frost lived in Milwaukee for a while. She sold her PhotoWord Art in galleries, Farmers’ Markets, and church events.

“I was very busy,” Frost said.

Her son, Michael Johnson makes glass-clip frames for the PhotoWord Art.

“When a person asks me to custom-make PhotoWord Art for them, I start putting it together in my head,” said Frost.

At the art class, she helped a student, Karen Blanchard, find photo letters to spell the name “Jill” for her girlfriend in Colorado.

Frost has a lot of family in the region. She was a farm kid.

“I grew up in Mauston and took photography in 4H,” Frost said. “I love [photography]. It is my passion and hobby.”

Frost came up to the Neillsville area during the pandemic and has been here ever since.

“I drive Clark County roads finding rustic scenes,” Frost said. “I take my camera out in the woods and take country photos.”

Traveling is a good way to find different places and scenery to photograph. Frost spent a year in Switzerland taking souvenir photos.

“I had so many photos,” Frost said.

Frost photographed a church in Paris and created a PhotoWord greeting card. She prefers black-and-white photography. Her inspiration comes from the photographer Ansel Adams.

Frost’s art includes an alphabet postcard with the letters l-o-v-e. Some of her artwork/photo cards have a story on the back, explaining the scene. They are available at For Craft Sakes.

Frost has a brochure she uses to advertise her expertise.

“As a photographer in journey with an extensive photo library of international imagery,” Frost’s brochure read, “I noticed letter-like forms in various shots. After establishing an artistic and functional photographic alphabet, I organized the letters into thematic words and ‘PhotoWord Art images that speak to you’ was born.

“I travel often throughout North America and Europe. My photos have become my wanderlust diary, reflecting the beautiful world we live in. My passion for travel and photography continues to grow deeper while I enrich my ‘PhotoWord Art’ stock.”

For more information on PhotoWord Art and Trina Kallian Frost’s artwork, trrrina@gmail.com.

For more information about art classes at For Craft Sakes, contact Diane Harris at 715-819-1090.

 

 

 

 


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