Pages From The Past
by Fred H. Keller, as published in the Sussex Sun newspaper
Transcribed by SLAHS volunteer Sarah Pichler, October 2011
Month of July
July 5, 2006
100 years ago-1906
C.G. Daniels planned to open an ice-cream parlor in the old Boots Tavern building next to St. Alban’s Cemetery.
The North Lisbon Methodist Church put on a strawberry festival and supper.
The Sussex Eastern Star held a basket luncheon at Marsdenʼs Hall.
50 years ago-1956
The Sussex summer playground program started July 9th. Mrs. Douglas Hext directed the 2-1/2-hour morning program. Ted Tetzlaff assisted with boys sports.
Lisbonʼs Mark Schafer returned from six months of basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Alice Semrow won a Helbros watch in the second annual Popsicle Western Roundup contest.
25 years ago-1981
The cost to use the Sussex swimming quarry was $4 for an individual or $8 for a family for the season. The quarry opened in 1890 and full of water since 1916, was behind the canning company.
Some states did not give out speeding tickets for going faster than the 55 mph national speed limit, instead calling them energy waste citations.
The annual Sussex 4th of July Kiddie Parade awarded 49 trophies.
10 years ago-1996
Madeline Halquist was the guest of honor at the Waukesha Avenue Park, renamed Madeline Park in her honor. Halquist Stone Co. donated much of the land for the park.
Lisbon Town Chairman Don Holt tried to shake up the Lisbon Park Board by no re-appointing Sally Kovacik. The move backfired when the board refused to endorse the change.
5 years ago- 2001
The Sussex Lions Club honored four of its own: Terry Marcou, Al Frantl, Gabe Kolesari and Gene Marx.
Bob Jones was inducted into the Land Oʼ Lakes Baseball Hall of Fame.
Gypsy moths invaded the Thousand Oaks subdivision.
Lannon approved the Whispering Ridge development for the former Joeck’s farm.
July 12, 2006
100 years ago-1906
The Rev. Richard Salmon, raised in Lisbon, celebrated his first Mass as a priest at St. James Catholic Church. He was assisted by the regular pastor of St. James, the
Rev. J. A. Ritger. Salmon is the son of James Salmon of Town Line Road, Lisbon.
Lannon’s Wili Nellis crushed his finger while he was handling a heavy stone.
50 years ago-1956
A plat was accepted for the George McLaughlin subdivision just east of Town Line Road and south of Highway 74.
Willow Springs School built a $62,000 58-by-71-foot addition.
Harvey Smith, 39 of Sussex drowned in Pewaukee Lake.
25 years ago-1981
David Basseuner was named the new Hamilton School District administrator.
Major League Baseball players went on strike. The Sussex Teen Center sold 1,200 tickets for a fundraiser, and stood to make a dollar for each one sold, but no games were played.
10 years ago-1996
Deputy Roger Buetow retired, ending his 11-year stint with the Waukesha County
Sheriff’s Department Sussex Office.
The Sussex Food Pantry moved from St. James Catholic Church to Sussex Community Community Hall.
The Pauline Haass Public Library neared completion.
5 years ago-2001
Workers struck Huffy Sports in the Sussex Corporate Center.
Because it had more than 1,000 citizens, Lannon had to divide into two wards, with Lannon Road as the dividing line.
Lannon voted to make its village hall smoke free.
Maple Avenue School Principal Gerald Schaut died of leukemia at the age of 64.
July 19, 2006
100 years ago- 1906
Edward Brown, 68, son of George and Catherine Brown, was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery. He was born July 1, 1837 in England and died July 24, 1906.
Born Jan. 4, 1887, Esther Cook, 19, was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery after her death July 8, 1906.
50 years ago-1956
Kathryn Langdon, 17, daughter of the Rev. Langdon of the Sussex Methodist
Church was severely injured on Silver Spring Drive when a gravel truck with faulty brakes struck the Rev. Langdonʼs car.
Private Robert Metzger trained at Fort Leonard Wood.
Mrs. John Boyle, 55, died after a 10 year illness.
25 years ago-1981
Ken Ohrmundt, who resigned as athletic director at Hamilton, was asked to return for one year while the School District looked for a replacement.
The Town of Lisbon set aside $10,000 to fight the proposed landfill site at the Weber farm west of the Carousel.
John Corrao was the proprietor of the Sussex General Pro Hardware Store.
10 years ago-1996
The circus parade train passed through Templeton.
The Haasch family held a family reunion in Sussex-Templeton, celebrating their arrival in Lisbon in 1927.
SEX is painted on the 110-foot-high new water tower in Sussex’s Corporate Center. (The painters were spelling out the name of the village, starting from the last letter and working their way backward.) Worldwide publicity followed (on Jay Leno and in Playboy).
5 years ago-2001
A ground breaking ceremony was held for the Sussex Senior Citizen Center.
The Lannon baseball field received a Waukesha County Historical Society historical marker.
Kellyn Johnson won the annual Lions Daze Fun Run in the Ladies division.
July 26, 2006
100 years ago- 1906
Grace Smith won a divorce from Clifford Smith, dissolving their 10 year old marriage, Grace won the right to use her maiden name: Hawkins. A 7 year old child was involved.
Dr. Ritzenthaler opened a dentist office upstairs in the Malsch building, serving Sussex patients every Monday.
50 years ago-1956
Ronnie Carlson directed the handicrafts program in the Sussex summer playground program.
Brig. Gen. OʼConner conducted an inspection of the Lannon Nike site. Capt. Robert Straight was the Lannon commander of the 852nd Battalion, whose C Battery was stationed in the village.
25 years ago-1981
Two Sussex Trustees criticized Quad/Graphics- which bough a $736,000 61-acre site in Sussex- for printing adult publications such as Playboy.
The Rev. Terry Brown, assistant pastor of St. James Catholic Church, was hospitalized with acute Leukemia.
10 years ago-1996
Pick ʻnʼ Save proposed building a 60,000 square foot supermarket on Highway J (now 164) and Main Street in Sussex.
Oscar Mayerʼs Wienermobile paid an extended visit to Markʼs Sentry store in downtown Sussex as part of the company’s Talent Search II.
The 1996 Sussex Fourth of July Kiddie Parade was the last to award trophies
5 years ago-2001
Former Hamilton star basketball coach Rich Ludka (with a record of 200-66) was back in Sussex to visit old friends.
Josh Bailey, 15, was found dead on the Sussex Bug Line Trail; dead from huffing on an aerosol spray.
June Haizel was named the Pauline Haass Public Library Volunteer of the Year.
Lisbon lost more than 70 acres to a Village of Merton annexation.