A Salute to 75 Years of Altrusa in Sheboygan

The Date: March 17th 1938
The Place: Benedict’s Heidelburg Club, Sheboygan –
Located on the 7th floor of the Security Bank Building
What: The organizational meeting for the Sheboygan
Altrusa Club.
Mabel Meek of Chicago
assisted the Sheboygan
Chapter in its
organization.
The following members signed the membership list on
March 17th 1938
• Mrs. (Edward) Elizabeth “Viva” Hammett – Honorary member –
Prominent in activities of women’s clubs, educational
activities, and the Girl Scouts. First president of the
Sheboygan Council of Teachers and Parents. Owned and
operated Hammett Gift Shop, 4th Floor – National Security
Building.
• Mrs. Matye Bock – Family owned and operated a drug store
• Mrs. Mary Karner – Piano teacher and well known in the
Sheboygan music community
• Miss Clara Kane – Beautician at 720 New York Avenue
The following members signed the membership list on
March 17th 1938
• Miss Esther Klingman – Superintendent of Sheboygan’s Memorial
Hospital
• Miss Frances Meyer – Children’s Librarian at Mead Public Library
• Miss Mona Pape - Program Director for WHBL
• Miss Anita Schaefer – Medical Science, Dietetics – Altrusa
categories
• Miss Ruth Schaper – Head of the Home Economics Department at
Central High
•Miss Esther Stein – Dietician at the Sheboygan Memorial Hospital
…were honored at the 50th Anniversary of the Sheboygan
Altrusa Club (Miss Esther Stein, Mrs. Mona Weinberg, &
Miss Ruth Schaper)
with Mrs. Earl Horn,
chapter president
in 1988.
…The Sheboygan Altrusa
Chapter was chartered on
November 14, 1945.
• 1942 – The club had 14 members and paid $28 in
dues to national for a half year period
• Projects in the early years of the organization
centered around the war effort and reflected the
“Patriotism” in our motto
• 1956 – The club had 34 members with each paying
75¢ for district dues
• 1963 – The yearbook cover declares: Altrusa,
Pioneer of Women’s Service Clubs
• 1966– Mona Weinberg and Roma Horn attended the
Altrusa District 7 Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 1971 – Irene Burbach was president. The group
heard a skit on parliamentary procedure and voted to
not support “Rawhide” but to “devote our time and
monies to young girls who need aid.”
• 1973 – Altrusa projects included Better Films
Council, Kettle Moraine Boys’ School, County
Hospital Christmas party, Sheboygan Welfare Council,
People-to-People, and assistance with senior citizens
• 1976 – Mrs. Nancy Scbreiber addressed the group on
Landmarks in Sheboygan County.
We are women in the groove,
keeping business on the move
Night and day we’re out to prove we’re
Altrusa!
We groom women for a trade,
sponsoring our grants in aid,
Helping till their future’s made,
we’re Altrusa
Founders fund and freedom’s cause get our
support without a pause,
Who upholds our nation’s laws? Altrusa!
On the ball in ev ‘ry way we’re Altrusa!
A – L - T – R- U – S – A!
Esther Klingman 1938-39
Mona Pape
1939-41
Ruth Schaper
1941-42
Frances Meyer
1942-43
Laura Bates
1943-45
Esther Stein
1945-47
Elizabeth McGinnes 1947-49
Marie Van Driel
1949-51
Leone Coleman
1951-52
Eleanor Hainer
1952-54
Laura Bates
1954-55
Margaret Miller
1955-57
Mona Weinberg 1957-59
Jennie Goedeke
1959-60
Sylvia Weber
1960-62
Louise Sills
1962-64
Marie VanDriel
1964-66
Roma Horn
1966-68
Cleo Messner
2001-03
Virginia Meyer
1968-70
Christine Roenitz 2003-04
Irene Burbach
1970-72
Lynne Beyer
2004-06
Retta Wilsing
1972-74
Louise Mollinger-Riemann
Mona Weinberg
1974-75
2006-08
Deloris Thiele
1975-77
Sue Dennis
2008-10
Virgie Sasman
1977-78
Joyce Atkins
2010-12
Christine Roenitz 1978-80
Jeanne Pethan
2012-13
Irene Burbach
1980-82
Jeanne Bogardus 2013
Doris Lomberg
1982-84
Mary Breister
1984-87
Barbara Losty
1987-89
Joan Stewart
1989-91
Linda Reiss
1991-93
Nancy Lewis
1993-94
Jane Osypowski
1994-95
Francha Barnard
1995-96
Robert Filicky-Peneski 1996-97
Diane Wilcenski
1997-99
Grace Rindfleisch 1999-01
… (or not, as the case might be)
• Jeanne Chambers – Secretary for Mayor Suscha
• Betty McGuinness – School Psychologist,
Professional Square Dancer
• Irene Burbach – Home Economist for Wisconsin
Power and Light, Altrusa District Governor
• Caroline Johnston – Owner, Johnston Bakery
• Beth Campbell – Girl Scout Field Director
• Louise Sills – Professional Photographer
… (or not, as the case might be)
• Mrs. Charles (Clarence)
Weber – Founder of the
Sheboygan Visiting Nurse’s
Association, Community
Players, and People-to-People
• Barbara Losty – First female
Dean, UW-Sheboygan
•Josephine Rocca – the face of
Mead Public Library
Mrs. Clarence
Weber
Josephine
Rocca
… (or not, as the case might be)
• Joan Stewart - First female
Editor of The Sheboygan
Press
•Hazel Watson – Watson
Vending
•Doris Lomberg – UW
Economics Professor, Bert
Filicky-Peneski’s first
graduate school professor,
and first woman inducted
into the Sheboygan
Economics Club
Joan Stewart
… (or not, as the case might be)
• Kathryn DuFour –
Second female member of
Sheboygan Yacht Club;
First member of the
Sheboygan Yacht Club to
give birth
• Painting and more painting.
Who had sore muscles???
- Camp Evergreen
- Girl Scout House
- Women’s Shelter at 13th and Geele
- Anna Marie House at 11th and Wilson
- Rebos Manner
Diane
Wilcenski
Chris
Roenitz
Roberta
FilickyPeneski
• The City of Sheboygan Garden – on the swing on
8th Street – for more than 10 years
• The Salvation Army Food Pantry –
Altrusa began the first evening operation,
allowing people to
select their groceries
via a menu, which
made the Salvation
Army eligible for
federal commodities –
close to 15 years at
the present time.
• The Salvation Army Food Pantry
Statistics–
- In 2009 534 families - 1,509
individuals were served (a
high); in 2011 289 families - 840
individuals (a low).
- The 2013 projection will be at
least 1,500 individuals
Kathryn DuFour
packing groceries at
the food pantry
Nancy Lewis
checking a client in
at the food pantry
• Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army
• Cleaning/service work at the
Scout House on Crystal Lake
• Chicken and All That Jazz Husking Corn,
among other things
• Read Across America
Girl
Cleo Messner
• Women-to-Women Project at UW-Sheboygan,
thanks to Linda Reiss
• Special Olympics Tournament
• Working Women’s Wear
Lynne Miller,
Sharon Abel, &
Nancy Lewis
collecting
clothes for
Working
Women’s Wear
Kathryn DuFour
making sandwiches
for the Special
Olympics
Tournament
• Habitat for Humanity Bookcase
and books donation
• Ice Cream Stand at Wings & Wheels
• Financial Support Projects
- Scholarships
- Girl Scout Camperships
- Literacy Council
- Various speaker-driven charities
Chris Roenitz
working the Ice
Cream Stand at
Wings & Wheels
• Curds and Crafts – The group organized and rented
booths to crafters to sell their wares at UW Sheboygan,
along with selling cheese from local
cheese makers
• Deer Widows – this morphed into
Does
Unlimited and was held until 1992 at
City Streets. This event for women
was held on the Friday of Deer
Hunting Season weekend and
consisted of dinner, entertainment,
and a silent auction
• A Tisket, A Tasket – The was an auction based
fund-raiser with the theme of building a basket
around a book. This event was held at the
American Club & Blue Harbor. The event
consisted of an admission charge, a silent auction,
and drinks, desserts, and appetizers
• Direct Mail - Mary Jo McBrearty wrote a
fundraising letter with her and Roberta FilickyPeneski’s signatures. This raised $3000+ the first
time around.
• Valentines – Roses and candy were hand
delivered.
• Nearly New Sale (Rummage sale)
• Ladies Night Out – This event was held with the
BID district and Prairie States. $4000 profit in 2013.
Collaboration – Paid labor at other
people’s/group’s events:
• Children’s Booth at Lakefest – face
painting,
drawing, clown pockets
• Octoberfest – sold beer
• Brat Days – sold beer
• Harbor Fest – sold hamburgers and brats
• Summer picnics
at Sylvia Weber’s summer home on Random
Lake
- at Chris Roenitz’s cottage on Elkhart Lake
(pontoon boat rides) and in her hanger at the
Shebogyan Country Airport
-at Nancy Bales’, Roberta Filicky-Peneski’s,
Jeanne Pethan’s, Chris Roenitz’s, and Mary
Lynne Donohue’s homes on Lake Michigan
- at Kathryn DuFour’s in her beautiful yard
-at the Wade House with the Fond du Lac
Chapter
-at the Henschel Farms
-
On Nancy Bales’ Patio
• Club Excursions
- Bus trip to the Chicago Art Institute
- Summer trip to the Milwaukee Art
Museum
• Christmas Parties
at Landmark Square
Nancy Lewis and Cathy
Lucchesi opening their white
elephant gifts
Chris Roenitz modeling the
glasses she received in the
Christmas gift exchange
Abel, Sharon
Instructor, Lakeshore Technical College
Abler, Barbara
Geographer – Retired
Bales, Nancy
Retired Teacher
Bogardus, Jeanne
Grant Writer/Non Profit Consultant/Semi – Retired
Brett, Eva
Pharmacist, Aurora – Sheboygan
Cline, Diane
Executive Director of the Manitou Girl Scouts
Dennis, Suzanne (Sue)
Retired Teacher/Media Specialist
Donohue, Mary Lynne
Attorney, retired
DuFour, Kathryn
Advertising/Artist
Filicky-Peneski, Roberta (Bert)
Financial Adviser – Retired
Giles, Susan (Sue)
Retired Teacher
Lewis, Nancy
Community Volunteer
Lucchesi, Catherine (Cathy)
Retired Veterinary Office Manager
McBrearty, Mary Jo
Special Projects Director, JMKAC – Semi-retired
McKenzie, Mary Jo
Insurance Agent – Retired
Miller, Lynne
Retired School Administrator
Morrissey, Marilyn
Human Resources Director at Sargento Cheese
Pethan, Jeanne
Retired from Federal Government
Rindfleisch, Grace
Retired Educational Assistant
Roenitz, Christine (Chris)
Retired Pharmacist
Voigt, Janet (Jan)
Financial Representative
We are Altrusan sisters who are diverse,
nurturing and professional women of integrity, guided
by ethical standards in leadership, service, and fun.
We are dedicated to a creative response to community
needs and to each other.
What we have already achieved is magnificent.
But Altrusa is not static; it is dynamic.
New fields shall open unto us
and we will achieve new goals of helpfulness.