Pages from the Past
by Fred H. Keller
Posted: Living Sussex Sun, November 5, 2013
1913 — 100 years ago
Fred Schroeder and Art Lutz of Templeton went to Wood County for deer hunting.
The Sussex Methodist Church will have a box lunch social in the church parlor next Friday night.
A new law in Wisconsin this coming year required husbands to be present the community clerk with a health certificate. Failure to do so could lead to a five-year prison sentence.
50 years ago — 1963
National Tea stores are offering chicken drumsticks for 29 cents a pound. The big shopping store for groceries in Sussex is the “Bubbles” Schaumann IGA in the “valley.”
One year CDs bring 4-percent interest at local banks.
Lenard Michaels is the Hamilton Band leader.
Thirty-one flavors of ice cream shops have a regular price of 12 cents for a cone. The Halloween special is 5 cents a cone, you pick the flavor.
25 years ago — 1988
The Sussex Fire Department had a practice fire on a stone home on Silver Spring Drive because Quad/Graphics wants to clear up the property for outer grounds and a sports field. One stone home had a cornerstone of 1853.
10 years ago — 2003
Sussex will join the Lake Country Municipal Court. The Village will take up the issue in January.
In the boys part, Hamilton’s John Pinter was the local representative from the Charger team, finishing gin the middle of the 150 boy runners. The Sussex Police Department has gunlocks available on a one per family request.
Five years ago — 2008
Two teens are charged in a beating they gave to a Sussex Bowl patron. The Sussex Sun ran a feature that Lannon’s Sunnyside cemetery has a grave site of two survivors of the April 15, 1912 sinking of the Titanic: two females, mother and daughter.
Marcus Paulson of the Hamilton Cross Country team was the winner and state bound from the WIAA sectional event. Hamilton now has two cross country runners who have finished in the top six, the first was Doug Johns in 1977 (fourth) and this year, it was Mark Paulson (fifth).
Posted: Nov. 12, 2013
1913 — 100 years ago
Henry and Ellen (Emerson) Edwards (both deceased) lost a son to John, who died Nov. 13, 1913 at age 82.
Miss Jessie Craig, the niece of Sussex Main Street living politician Will H. Edwards, is a lucky winner. When homestead land opened up in Montana, she entered a government lottery, filled out a ticket and sent in 25 cents. She won, getting a 160-acre homestead in a lottery that 40,000 people entered. She has already received an offer for $2,000 for the property claim.
1963 — 50 years ago
Local orchards are selling apples for $2 a bushel.
In Sussex, Shroeder Implement ran an ad for the sale of a series of used big farm equipment tractors.
Hamilton, with its sophomore-junior first football team in the Braveland finished with an 0-8 conference season as Port Washington wallops the Chargers 52-0. Overall, Hamilton was 0-9.
A 1963 used Ford Thunderbird has a lot price of $3,495.
1988 — 25 years ago
The buyout of Kraft Foods by Philip Morris Companies for $13.1 billion dollars can have an impact on the Sussex Tombstone Pizza plant. Kraft employs 115 people in this facility, but it might close. One hundred and fifteen Hamilton High history students had a mock election for president, and Michael Dukakis was the winner.
2003 — 10 years ago
Hamilton senior Kira Cerroni has qualified for two swimming events at the WIAA state swimming championships.
Hamilton’s former longtime football coach, Stan Grove (The Charger football field is named after him) is into football again, as he does color commentary for Time Warner Cable on local high school football TV games.
2008 — 5 years ago
The amassing Hamilton football team who lost their first two games of the season are now at level 3 in the state football tournament as they upset a state rate Brookfield Central team that had walloped Hamilton earlier this year. Hamilton won 21-13 despite being down 13-7. Lisbon is considering Sussex water for Maple Ave. south residents.
Posted: Nov. 19, 2013
1913 — 100 years ago
Mr. and Mrs. James Connell of Colgate have had a 25th anniversary party. Over 40 members of the Sussex St. Alban’s Episcopal Church Guild attended a party at their rural home.
In Templeton, John Semrow and son Martin were leaving a work site in the field with a team of horses. Lightning struck and knocked them out for a period of time. When they awoke, they saw that the horses had walked home to the homestead barn.
1963 — 50 years ago
New plans call for a 42-foot extension of the Lannon Fire Department to house a new fire truck. Lannon intends on buying a first-ever new police squad, as before this time Lannon police officers used their own cars.
The Sussex Fire Department will hold a dedication event for its new fire house west of the Village on Nov. 17. State Senator Chester Dempsey was a speaker. The Village Board has approved $75 for refreshments.
1988 — 25 years ago
In a recent bow deer hunt, a 12-year-old Sussex boy, Dan Kunzman, used a 37-pound pull bow to get his first deer down. Dan, a seventh grader at TMS, was in a 12-foot-high tree stand and had a close-in shot to drop the 4-point buck which weighed in at 134 pounds.
Edwin and Ann (nee Dubnicka) Wnuk celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
2003 — 10 years ago
Goner are the former historic Bertzel Davidson barber shop and the Olde Country Floral Shoppe. Maplewood Terrace needs the area for a series of condos.
It was announced that in 2005, the nearby Elsie Mae Weyer home will also disappear.
Lisbon farmer John Opsahl (Hillside Road) has died at age 87. Death came Nov. 13.
Halquist will celebrate 75 years in business in Lisbon next year (2004). It started in 1929.
2008 — Five years ago
The Hamilton football team has eliminated the top rated Waunakee 14-7 to be in the state tournament final 4. Quarterback Justin Rupnow was the star of the game. Hamilton would lose in the final 4 (28-14) to Verona.
Hamilton junior Alaina DiGiorgio earned second team all conference for the Hamilton girls volleyball team. Steph Kirchner was first team all conference.
Posted: Nov. 26, 2013
1913 — 100 years ago
The Rev. Hugh Berleson, a former Sussex boy, son of the Pastor of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church was raised to a missionary bishop and is assigned to North Dakota. The parsonage at St. Alban’s was built for Rev. S.S. Burleson’s family when he came on the scene with eight children.
1963 — 50 years ago
At the recent Sussex Fire Department dedication and cornerstone placement, a sealed copper box was put behind the cornerstone, containing Ordinance 57 (pertaining to the Sussex Fire Department), the names of the Village Board members and also the current list of Sussex Fire Departments.
It was stated at the time that the box would remain behind the cornerstone for 500 years.
The Village of Sussex is expecting a new, made-to-order Sussex Post Office next to the Sussex Creek soon.
1988 — 25 years ago
A terrible happening has occurred in the Hamilton-Lisbon community as the news that a prominent former Hamilton athlete, Robert Klisch, died Nov. 8 in Mexico while on his honeymoon. Klisch, 25, was a 1981 Hamilton grad. He played starting end on an 8-1 Hamilton football team and was on a Coach Rich Ludka basketball team where he was the leading rebounder. The incident that led to his death was a Pacific Ocean wave at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, which toppled him.
2003 — 10 years ago
After only two seasons the Hamilton Athletic Department has let go Fred Eimerman as head football coach. He had a 6-12 overall record, and this fall went 2-7 in conference.
This year’s National Honor Society officers are Abbey Paton as president, Katherine Millonzi as vice president, Pamela Arnold as treasurer, Tracie Schaich as historian, Angeal Romano as public relations and Brian Schei as parliamentarian. Thirty new members have recently been installed.
2008 — Five years ago
At the Lisbon Town meeting (130 attending), by a 64-63 vote, the Highway Budget was cut $101,175. A Lisbon resident with a $300,000 home will pay a higher property tax of $57 as a result of the evening’s events.
The former John Watson barn on Hillside and North Lisbon Road is known as the largest Lisbon barn in the history of the community. It still stands as barns are fast disappearing in both Waukesha and Lisbon.