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Stephen Maersch, a longtime Wisconsin journalist and member of the Milwaukee Press Club's Media Hall of Fame, died on Friday, Jan. 12, in Greendale. He was 86.

His early experiences included part-time roles at the Sheboygan Press and the The (Madison) Capital Times, as well as stints at the Chicago Tribune, Melbourne (Australia) Herald and Durban (South Africa) Daily News. In 1969, he landed a job as a copy editor with The Milwaukee Journal. "It was his best career move ever," he wrote in the obituary he penned himself. He worked at the paper for 25 years, retiring in 1995.

Robert Berglund, former publisher of the (Loyal) Tribune Record Gleaner, member of the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame and a WNA past president, died on Saturday, Dec. 30. He was 93.

 In 1969, he and his late wife, Florence, merged the Loyal Tribune, Spencer Record and Greenwood Gleaner into the Tribune Record Gleaner, which they operated until selling the business in 1998. Just weeks before his death, Berglund announced that after spending 56 years in the newspaper industry and writing 2,900 columns, he'd written his last "Over the Back Fence" column.

Carroll Kraus, a distinguished copy editor with a notable career at The Milwaukee Journal, died on Dec. 5 in Milwaukee — one day after his 84th birthday.

Before joining the U.S. Army, where he was a public information officer, Carroll served as editor of the Daily Nebraskan and as a reporter for the Lincoln Journal. After his military service, he joined the copy desk at the Des Moines Register. In 1970, he moved to Milwaukee, joining The Milwaukee Journal, where he worked for more than 40 years.

David James Grey, a former journalist and editor with the Oshkosh  Northwestern, died on Dec. 15, in Oshkosh, after a long battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. He was 78.

Grey began his journalism career that year as a sportswriter for the Northwestern. His tenure with the newspaper spanned 36 years, during which he served as city editor, business editor and special editions manager. In 2002, he shifted his professional focus to real estate, joining Schwab Realty in Oshkosh, where he worked until his retirement in 2020.

Patrick Riedy, a former Wisconsin journalist, died Wednesday, Nov. 29, in Casco, at the age of 92.

His career in journalism began as a young man, serving as a reporter and editor for various newspapers, including stints in Green Bay and Milwaukee. He later worked in plumbing and heating sales for Sears and then for Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation.

Jane Dwyre Garton, a distinguished Wisconsin journalist, educator and philanthropist, died on Nov. 24 in Appleton. She was 77. She attended North High School, where she worked on the student newspaper, the Urbanite, before going on to earn a journalism degree from the University of Dayton in 1968.

Garton's early work included serving as a sports information officer at Lawrence University in the 1970s, where she championed female athletes' rights under Title IX. She continued to break gender barriers through her pioneering career in the newspaper business, where she often faced challenges as one of the only women in the newsroom. During her time at the (Appleton) Post-Crescent, she excelled as a beat reporter and editor, covering mental health, government, agriculture and women in sports. She went on to earn a master's degree in journalism from Indiana University before turning to teaching journalism at UW-Oshkosh and UW-Fox Valley. 

Joanne Marie Gidley, 88, a noted contributor to Wisconsin's newspaper industry, died Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Cardinal Ridge Assisted Living in Green Bay.

She served as editor of both the Cathedral High School and College of St. Scholastica student newspapers before beginning her journalism career at the Catholic Herald, where she worked as a reporter from 1955 to 1958. After a hiatus to raise her family, she rejoined the workforce in 1977, working in several tourism and advertising roles that allowed her to continue her passion for writing. She also served as a contributor for the Superior Telegram.

Larry Landgraf, who had an extensive career in newspaper advertising, died on Thursday, Nov. 16, in Middleton. He was 98.

A graduate of Hayward High School and UW-Madison, he joined the retail advertising department of Madison Newspapers in 1949. He remained with the company for nearly 50 years, retiring as advertising director in 1989 and from the newspaper in 1998. Landgraf was a past president of the Madison Area Sales and Marketing Executives, Wisconsin Newspaper Advertising Executives Association, and Madison Advertising Federation.

Rick Berg, a Madison native and Isthmus columnist, died on Saturday, Nov. 11, at UW Hospital in Madison. He was 73.

A 1968 graduate of Fort Atkinson High School, he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from UW-Madison in 1974. He worked in local and state government in Wisconsin for more than 30 years. Berg was a former Madison school board member and former Dane County Republican Party chairman. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor, and also worked as a speechwriter for Gov. Tommy Thompson. Throughout his career in government, he maintained his roots in journalism, writing dozens of pieces for Isthmus, from his conservative perspective.

James "Jim" Edward Zima, a former sports writer for the Green Bay Press-Gazette and a notable community figure, died Tuesday, Sept. 19, in Green Bay. He was 83.

Upon his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1964, he embarked on a nearly 40-year career with the Press-Gazette, working as a reporter, columnist and copy editor from 1961 to 2000. Even after retirement, he continued to pen a bowling column for another decade.