Members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, family and friends gathered Thursday and Friday in Eagle River, Wis., to pay tribute to industry leaders during the 2022 WNA Trees Retreat and Memorial Pylon Ceremony. It’s the first time the event has been held in-person since 2019, and inductees who were honored virtually in 2020 and 2021 were also memorialized.
In addition to being enshrined on granite pylons at the WNA Memorial Grove on the Trees For Tomorrow campus in Eagle River, this year’s honorees also have been added to the WNA’s virtual pylon.
WNA Foundation President Scott Peterson and WNA past president Bill Haupt served as masters of ceremonies for the event, during which the following 2022 inductees were honored:
- Louis E. (Lou) Brandt, Chilton Times-Journal
- Nancy (Nan) C. Branen, Burlington Standard Press
- James E. (Jim) Burgess, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison
- Robert Dye, Journal Communications, Milwaukee
- Michael E. (Mike) Mathes, Tri-County News, Kiel
- Theodore (Ted) Charles Edward Radde III, Sparta Herald
- Larry Michael Tobin, Tomahawk Leader
- Robert H. (Bob) Wills, Milwaukee Sentinel
Golf outing
The retreat kicked off with a golf outing on Thursday. The winning team, which included Scott Peterson, Bill Haupt and his son, Kevin Haupt, and WNA Office Administrator Daryl Blumer, won bragging rights and the opportunity to etch their names on the historic traveling trophy.
WNA Press Forest
Attendees also traveled to the WNA Press Forest on Thursday night to participate in the traditional steak fry.
The 78-acre farm south of Eagle River was purchased by members in 1957 after an outing to the Trees For Tomorrow campus. After purchasing the land, WNA members developed the Memorial Grove to pay tribute to deceased industry leaders.
Originally, they planted a tree as a memorial to each publisher, affiliate or friend of the newspaper industry who had died, but it became clear within a short span of time that there would not be enough land to carry out the project beyond a few years. So, in 1962, a Memorial Pylon was erected to display the names of the deceased. It was redesigned and moved from the Press Forest to the Trees For Tomorrow campus in 1980, where the names of deceased member publishers were printed on press plates and hung from wooden structures.
Over time, the names began to fade and, in 2014, a more permanent monument was erected. Five granite pylons and several benches now provide visitors a place to reflect. The effort is made possible by donor contributions and sponsorship of the WNA Foundation. (You can support the effort here.)
