Arlys Jean Hawkes

Arlys Jean Hawkes, who owned two Jefferson County newspapers with her husband, was born on Nov. 5, 1933, to Guy and Mildred Hamann in Menomonie. She graduated from Menomonie High School in 1951 and UW-Stout in 1955, earning a degree in dietetics and home economics. She married Dennis L. Hawkes on Oct. 15, 1954, at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Menomonie. They had two sons, Stephen and Thomas.

Following the completion of her husband’s service in the U.S. Navy the couple moved to Madison, where she was employed by the Malt and Barley Lab at the University of Wisconsin.

In 1965, the couple purchased the Lake Mills Leader and Leader Printing Company, and in 1979, they purchased the Cambridge News. Arlys worked full-time and remained active in the business until the newspapers were sold in 1999.

Arlys died on March 9, 2023, at the age of 89. She was survived by her husband, Dennis, and two sons, Stephen and Thomas.