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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.

Pamela Powers, a public relations specialist for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and former (Eau Claire) Leader-Telegram journalist, died Saturday, July 22, 2022, at her home in Boyceville. She was 59.

After graduating from Northwestern High School in 1983, Powers earned a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from UW-Superior and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. In July 1989, she joined the Leader-Telegram, where she worked for 28 years, earning a reputation as a gifted, well-respected journalist who knew how to put people at ease. She left the paper in 2017 to work in UW-Stout's communications department. Six months ago, she joined UW-River Falls as a public relations specialist.

Thomas Ray Aaroen, a former sports reporter for the McFarland Community Life newspaper, died on Wednesday, May 25, following a brief battle with cancer. He was 71.

Aaroen graduated from McFarland High School and attended two years of college at UW-Platteville, UW-Whitewater, and UW-Eau Claire. After reporting for the Community Life, he went on to a career with the U.S. Postal Service in Madison.

Ronald R. Johnson, former publisher of several Wisconsin newspapers, died on May 17, 2022, of COPD. He was 82.

Interested in newspapers and printing as a child, he had a paper route at a young age and worked for The Dixon Evening Telegraph while in high school. During his career, he worked for newspapers in Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the mid-70s, he was the owner and publisher of newspapers in Argyle, Albany and Monticello.

Russell John Newton, of Verona, died on May 21, 2022, after a three-year battle with ALS, at the age of 62. Newton spent most of his life working in the newspaper industry, beginning his career delivering for the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison. As an adult, he held management positions with the Chicago Tribune, the (Norfolk, Va.) Daily Press, the Orlando Sentinel, the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union Tribune and the San Antonio Express.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 16, at Capital Brewery in Middleton.

Charlie Friederich, a longtime journalist for The Milwaukee Journal, died May 28, in Monroe. He was 87.

After earning his master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill, he began his journalism career as a reporter for the Binghamton (New York) Press. He moved to Wisconsin in 1961 to join The Milwaukee Journal, where he worked for almost 30 years. Friederich retired from The Journal in 1990.