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Linda S. Godfrey, who first reported on what became known as "The Beast of Bray Road," died on Nov. 27 at Agrace Hospital in Janesville. She was 71.

In 1991, Godfrey was a reporter for Walworth County Week, a weekly supplement to The (Janesville) Gazette, when she was assigned to cover alleged sightings of a purported humanoid wolf-like creature near Elkhorn. "The Beast of Bray Road" has since become a part of Wisconsin folklore and has been the subject of multiple books, documentaries and a 2005 horror film.

Thomas "Tom" D. Bell, former fifth-generation publisher of the Ladysmith News, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at Our House Memory Care in Chippewa Falls. He was 80.

Tom served as publisher of the Ladysmith News until his retirement in 2004. He was succeeded by his brother, Jim Bell, who is the newspaper's current publisher.

Marybeth Tschumperlin, an Eau Claire native who wrote a column for the (Spring Valley) Sun-Argus, died on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Dove Health Care West in Eau Claire. She was 74.

She and her husband, Michael, made their home in rural Elmwood, and for several years, Tschumperlin wrote the weekly column “Cruising around Elmwood” for the Sun-Argus. She also worked in the newspaper office for a short time.

Jane Louise Myhra, a former reporter for several Waupaca County newspapers, died Oct. 17, in Oshkosh. She was 69.

Myhra began her career in journalism in 1996, writing for the Iola Herald and, after a merger, the Waupaca County Post. She also wrote for the Manawa Advocate, Wisconsin State Farmer, Wisconsin Horseman’s News and as a freelancer for Jones Publishing.

Beverly Klein, who had a 32-year career with The (Milwaukee) Journal Company, died on Sept. 29, at the age of 95.

Born on July 16, 1927, in Wisconsin, to Frank and Evelyn Bolger, Klein began her advertising career as a part-time classified ad taker in 1961. She retired in 1993 as senior vice president of marketing, after rising through the ranks at a time when it was rare for women to have careers at all, let alone be executives, writes Genevieve Redsten of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Patty Williamson, a longtime writer for Door County Living and the (Baileys Harbor) Peninsula Pulse, died Tuesday, Sept. 27. She was 88.

Williamson, who nurtured the journalism bug she first caught in high school through freelance gigs and fill-in duties for local newspapers, joined the Pulse at the age of 74, following a long career in public relations for Missouri school districts. During her tenure, she wrote more than 340 articles about people, history and the arts in Door County, and won an award in last year's Better Newspaper Contest.

Bonnie Rae Porter, longtime business manager for The (Milwaukee) Daily Reporter, died on Aug. 4, at the Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill. She was 69.

In December 2007, Porter joined The Daily Reporter, where she worked as the business manager until her retirement in 2020. A celebration of life will be held at a later time, according to the obituary.

Jonathan E. Ziegel, a former newspaper carrier from Beaver Dam passed away on Thursday, April 21, in Madison. He was 65.

A graduate of Beaver Dam High School, Ziegel did many things throughout his career. He was a self-employed contractor, delivered the (Beaver Dam) Daily Citizen, and owned the Tune Town Tap in North Fond du Lac. 

Patti Rasmussen, a longtime journalist who worked for several newspapers across Brown and Door counties, died Thursday, Aug. 4, following a decade-long battle with dementia. She was 70.

During her 33-year journalism career, Patti worked as a reporter for the Rockton-Roscoe Herald, as special sections editor for the Green Bay News-Chronicle, and as an editor of Kewaunee County weeklies that included the Algoma Record Herald, Luxemburg News and the Kewaunee Enterprise. She also served as editor of the Door County Advocate and the Denmark Press and was an accomplished columnist. Her favorite topics were quirky anecdotes from daily life and her grandchildren’s antics.