THE SHAWANO LEADER

www.shawanoleader.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Bountiful Blessings
Local leaders share what theyre thankful for
Thanksgiving is a magical holiday that arrives each year at a moment of uncertainty. The
seasons are changing. The days grow short. No one knows what to expect from the long,
cold winter that approaches.
Yet despite the potential for trepidation, Thanksgiving has a special way of persuading
each of us to find the good in our lives. Perhaps more than any other holiday, this is when
we look past the clouds and find the silver lining. If only for one day, we stop fretting about
what may be, and we give thanks for what is.
In the Shawano area, there is much to be thankful for and many among us to give
thanks.
The Shawano Leader asked eight representatives of the community, from diverse
backgrounds, to share their personal reflections on this Thanksgiving holiday. Their offerings presented here today touch on uplifting themes that resonate with many of us: family,
tradition, freedom, community.
As one of them writes so eloquently, What more could I want?

Family, teachers,
mentors forge
a thankful life
By Jim Leuenberger,
Shawano County Barn Quilt Project

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is the day

we pause to give thanks to God for what
he has given us. I give thanks every day
to be able to enjoy the opportunities with
which I have been presented. I have
truly been blessed.
I was raised on a dairy farm among
the rolling hills of
northeast Iowa. It
was there I developed my work ethic,
as well as my love
for sports, especially
baseball, from my
dad, Clinton. I also
developed a great
appreciation for my
mom, Mary, and
how she maintained
our household while
dad was tending
to farming and his
beloved Guernsey
dairy cattle.
I grew up with
three loving sisters,
Sharon, Anita and
JoAnn, and we are
as close today as
we have ever been.
That is truly something to be thankful for.
During my growing up years, Mom
and Dad instilled in me the importance
of having God in your life. I went to a
Catholic grade school for eight years.

The nuns were excellent teachers, but

one in particular, Sister Erna, was one of
the best teachers I ever had. She loved
birds, and her students were always
enrolled in the Audubon Bird Club. Each
of us was able to choose our favorite
bird, so I chose the owl. A wise choice,
wouldnt you say?
I have loved
owls, and birds in
general, ever since.
What a blessing to
be able to enjoy and
appreciate, through
travel and photography, all that
nature offers.
I love photography. I think I got
that from Mom, who
was always taking
photos of my sisters
and me. At Iowa
State, I majored
in dairy science
and agricultural
journalism, and my
career provided the
opportunity to use
my skills in those
areas.
My former boss, Tom Lyon, brought
me to Shawano in 1975 to head up the
public relations department for the
then-Midwest Breeders Cooperative. I
am thankful for all his support and being

Irene and Jim Leuenberger brought the Shawano County Barn Quilt Project to life in the regions rural community. At right, one of the barn quilts found in Shawano County.

such a great friend and role model.

Tom encouraged his employees to
give back to the community. I followed
his mentoring through 30 years as a
4-H photography leader and 39 years
as a member of the Shawano Optimist
Club. Those volunteer opportunities and
many others, like the Shawano County
Barn Quilt Project, have given me great
pride, joy and satisfaction.
I have been blessed with three great
children, Jeff, Jennifer and Jeremy, all
of whom are college graduates with
successful careers. I would be remiss if

I didnt say thanks to Jeff and his wife,

Maureen, for giving us two fabulous
grandchildren, Emily and Ryan. Since
they live in New Jersey, we miss being
able to spoil them as much as we would
like.
Finally, I am most thankful that my
wife, Irene, has been in my life for the
past 20 years and has supported me in
all my endeavors. She has brought special love into my life and I look forward
to many more years with her. Have a
wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy and give
thanks every day for all your blessings.

Medical center project became labor

of love for community members
By Dorothy Erdmann,
CEO of ThedaCare Medical
Center-Shawano
I am thankful the vision of a new medical center for our community recently
became a reality! I deeply appreciate the
support of countless people who supported this vision, unselfishly giving of their
time and money to make it happen.
I am thankful for the many community residents and staff who helped design
the campus. Because of their input our
new medical center resonates with respect for diverse cultures, welcoming all
who entrust us with their care.
I am thankful for our staff and physicians who unselfishly serve our patients
and their families. They are here 24
hours a day, often working extra hours as
needed. This is at a deep personal sacrifice of time with their loved ones.
Words cant express my gratitude
for the hundreds of staff who gave up
vacation and weekends to help make our
vision a reality. Everyone worked long
hours to plan and move into our beautiful
medical center.
I can say the same for our community

Dorothy Erdmann leads the recently opened ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano as chief executive
officer.

PHOTOS BY GREG MELLIS

partners and construction contractors. It

was magical how they became one team,
with one goal, and they did it.
A three-year planning process culminated with the opening of ThedaCare
Medical Center-Shawano in September. I
will forever hold this event as a highlight
of my career that I was privileged to be
part of.
On a deeply personal level, I am
thankful for the health care we have in
Shawano. Although the outcome for the
person I loved so dearly was not what I
hoped for, I know everything was done
to try to save his life. Many times, I have
relived what happened and have been
comforted by the fact everyone who
touched him provided competent and
compassionate care.
Only when you have gone down a
journey that no one ever wants to, do
you really appreciate how important it is
to have the quality of health care we do.
I will be thankful for that the rest of my
life.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS

THE SHAWANO LEADER

www.shawanoleader.com

Faith, family, tribe

instill passion
to succeed
By Verna Fowler,
president of the College
of Menominee Nation

we return thanks to the

Great Spirit in whom is embodied all goodness. And who
directs all things for the good of
her children. -- Iroquois Prayer
I give thanks on a daily basis
for successes and other activities that made my day. It is on
Thanksgiving Day I reflect on
what a great life I have experienced and the blessings I have
enjoyed.
My experiences lead me to
be grateful for the earth and
creation, my family, what I have
learned and received from
them, and I am grateful for my

American Indian heritage, both

Menominee and StockbridgeMunsee.
Creation: I grew up in
Neopit across from the Catholic
church, with the edge of the
forest and the Wolf River as my
playground. Both provided for
excitement, exploration, foods
and a great classroom. In the
process, I learned to love the
beauty of creation.
Family: I was blessed being
born into a large family with
parents who ensured we were
fed, warm and instilled us with
a good work ethic, strong values

Verna
her computer-based
computer-basedclassroom
classroomatatthe
theCollege
CollegeofofMenominee
MenomineeNation
Nation
Keshena.
The
colleges
online
classVerna Fowler sits amid her
in in
Keshena.
The
colleges
online
classroom
below,
expands
its reach
in the
community and connects the campuses in Keshena and Green Bay.
room technology,
technology (left)
expands
its reach
in the
tribaltribal
community.

and a healthy dose of humor.

They demanded our best in
school and insisted upon high
school graduation.
For my siblings and myself,
they said they could never afford college, so we would have
to figure out how to attend. With
11 in our family, seven of us
figured it out, though not all to
completion.
The education my parents
demanded has provided superb
opportunities local, national,
international. It has brought
happiness and success in my
life and to my profession.
I attended Catholic schools
except for a few colleges from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. My
family and faith taught me tolerance and curiosity for people
who differed from me.
My father was baptized

Catholic, raised as a Presbyterian, attended a Lutheran school.

My mother, a baptized Catholic, blended Catholicism with
Menominee ceremonies and
beliefs and we knew prayers
went to the one God.
I remember well the ceremonies with my maternal grandmother.
Education has enhanced my
talents and ability to learn from
my family, who supported and
encouraged me in the use of
those gifts.
Menominee Tribe: Finally, I
am grateful for the Menominee
Tribe in which I am an enrolled member. It was the 1992
Menominee Tribal Legislature
who honored me by calling me
to serve the tribe in starting a
tribal college.
My parents voices haunted

me, Remember you are

responsible for the tribe; help
whenever you can.
I am grateful for the tribal
opportunity and for opportunities I have received to obtain
an education that enabled me
to succeed in establishing a
remarkable institution: the College of Menominee Nation.
People ask me, Arent you
proud of what you have accomplished? Yes, but I did not do it
alone.
I am grateful for the tribes,
corporations, foundations,
donors, governmental agencies
and their funding.
Most of all, I am grateful for
the faculty, staff and students
who have made the College of
Menominee Nation a success.
Without them, I could not have
accomplished anything.

Smaller city suits owner of family business well

By Willis Qualheim,
owner of Qualheim True Value
As we celebrate this Thanksgiving, there are so
many things to be thankful for.
I am blessed with a wonderful wife, four beautiful
daughters and a loving family scattered throughout
the U.S. We dont have the opportunity to get together
very often, but when we do, its like we were never
apart.
Years ago, I moved away to a large city. It only took
me about two years to realize that I wasnt missing
anything by not living in a larger city.
After moving back here 35 years ago, Im still
thankful every day for all the friends and great people
Ive had the chance to get to know and the relationships weve developed.
I truly enjoy going to work every day and seeing
our customers and friends. The community has been
very good to us and I truly enjoy giving back in every
way that I can.
Thank you to our valued customers. We are grateful for the pleasure of serving you.

Willis Qualheim operates the family-owned Qualheims True Value hardware store in Shawano.

Community, faith,
family counted
among blessings
By Terry Hilgenberg,
owner of Hilgenberg Realty
I am thankful for being
born an American and given
the freedom and liberties we
enjoy every day that were
provided through the strength
and commitment of thousands
of dedicated servicemen and
women who have protected us
and proactively given us peace.
I am thankful for my parents, Neil and Vera, for everything they have given me, my
brothers and our families, and
especially the standard they
set and commitment they
made to each
other for more
than 60 years.
I am thankful
for my beautiful
wife of 40-plus
years, Bonnie,
who has given me constant support and love, and our two children, Heidi and TJ. And now
with TJ and Andie giving us two
healthy grandchildren Addie
and Eli we are blessed.
I am thankful for the success
of our business for more than 50
years, my great partners, Dad

and brother Phil, the outstanding professionals of the Hilgenberg Team past, present and
future and for the thousands
of clients and customers that
allowed us to be of service to
them, often handling their most
valuable financial asset. The
Shawano business community
and the many partners that assisted us with our transaction,
developments and buildings are
truly appreciated.
The greater Shawano community has been
a blessing for our
company and
family, and has
provided us with
many opportunities. These
opportunities,
not just financial,
allowed us to participate in
many worthwhile organizations
for the betterment of our community and citizens, including
Shawano Rotary, Optimist
Club, the chamber, Shawano
County Economic Progress Inc.
(SCEPI), First Presbyterian
Church, Habitat for Humanity,

Real estate agent Terry Hilgenberg sits in his wife Bonnies classroom in Shawano.

Boy Scouts and the committees to invest in the Shawano

schools, as well as many others.
I am thankful for the philosophy of participating that my
dad and mom taught us, from
participating in the previously
mentioned organizations to
participating in our profession,
including our local, state and
national associations of Realtors providing me the opportunity of meeting and working
with some of the most successful, committed and contributing
practitioners in the country.
What a fantastic experience for

a kid from Shawano.

My most recent participation on the Wisconsin Natural
Resources Board has given me
insight into the workings, some
good and some not so good, of a
large government agency and
the opportunity to get to know
dedicated, committed professionals that raise our level of
appreciation for our natural
resources and the benefits of
being a Badger.
Speaking of which, the
education I received from my
early days at Lincoln School to
Shawano High to the University

PHOTOS BY GREG MELLIS

of Wisconsin Graduate School

of Business was not a fluke but
made possible by early guidance, direction and encouragement of my parents, teachers
and administrators, and people
dedicated to providing topquality education that is truly
a cornerstone of a community,
state, country and society.
Lastly and most importantly,
I am thankful for our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ for all the
blessings he has given me, my
family and our country, and I
ask Him to continue to bless us
and America.

THE SHAWANO LEADER

BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS

www.shawanoleader.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

B3

Simon Levin brings his artistry to life at Mill Creek Pottery in Gresham.

Giving back is ultimate gift of thankfulness

By Simon Levy, owner of Mill Creek Pottery
I was just in Chicago walking down
Michigan Avenue when I was stopped by
a young man who works for the Childrens Relief Fund. He asked me if I give
to charity.
We do, I told him. It is an act of
thankfulness.
As soon as we had more than enough
money, my wife and I consciously
decided to give back. We donate to the
Christian Childrens Fund, my wifes
church, my synagogue, Dollars for Scholars, etc. We do this as well as community
service volunteer work.
We do this because we are thankful
for those that came before us and helped
us get to where we are today. We did not

come to a place of more than enough on

our own. There was a time when we had
more time, so that is what we gave.
I am thankful for my education and
good teachers who taught me how to
think and excited my mind. I am thankful
for my parents who helped me grow
healthy and strong. I am thankful for
friends who, when I feel low, remind me
who I am.
I am thankful for the roads that allow
me to travel, for the police, military and
fire departments who protect me and my
property. I am thankful for our neighbors
who watch over our family.
I am thankful for my young apprentices whose energy helps me accomplish

amazing things. I am thankful to my

community for supporting me, bringing
wood and helping with firings.
I knew a religious community that
had a regressive scale for its members,

asking 6 percent of those who earned the

least, and 4 percent of those who earned
the most.
On its face, the amount given by those
with the most was a lot more money
than those who had the least. Four
percent of $200,000 is a lot more than 6
percent of $20,000. This math misses the
point. It is unsurprising that the congregation is dying.
Life invests in the next generation.
The stronger members of a community
invest in the ones who are establishing
themselves and will carry the load when
they have the means.
Giving is gratitude. Being able to give
is a gift that you have received.

Shawano welcomes
familys dream
By the Badalamenti and Bommarito families,
owners of Luigis & Fannitas Bakery
From Sicily to America, it has
been an incredible journey for our
family.
In 1995, our family settled in the
Shawano area. That same year
Luigis was opened for business.
As you could imagine there were
some challenges coming to a new
community in a new country and
starting a new business.
One of the most difficult challenges was learning the English
language. Despite the challenges
our family faced, we persevered,
and 20 years later we have been
blessed with the opportunity to
expand our horizons.
On Sept. 14, Fannitas Bakery
was opened. The bakery is an exciting opportunity to share more of
what we love with the community.
We are thankful for what God has
given us every day and with the

Members
the Badalamenti
Members
of the of
Badalamenti
and and
Bommaritofamilies
families,
shown
with some
Bommarito
own
both Luigis
of their employees,
both Luigis
restaurant
and Fannitasown
Bakery.
restaurant and Fannitas Bakery.

Thanksgiving season approaching

it is important to us to take extra
time to recognize what we are
thankful for.
We are thankful for Shawano
and the wonderful community.
None of this could be possible
without the great support of the
people here.
With the holidays drawing near
we think of having our friends and
families together. Faith and family
are the most important aspects of
our lives.
For Thanksgiving our family of
about 30 people gather together
and enjoy a lunch and dinner
together. In-between meals the
kids play games and the adults talk
over espresso. The time we share
and the memories we make are
valuable to us. From our family to
yours Happy Thanksgiving!

Freedom, family never

taken for granted
By Jerry Erdmann,
Shawano County Board chairman
When asked to write
an article on what I
was thankful for in 500
words or less, my first
thought was or less. I
do not write speeches or
consider myself a complicated man, but my life
experiences have given
me the knowledge to relay
to others that words from
the heart are what count.
My first thanks are for
our Founding Fathers,
who showed us the way
through their courage
and words such as, Life,
liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. I am thankful for my life, for the fact
that my name is not on
the black marble wall in
Washington, D.C. Although I returned from
Vietnam a changed man, I
am still truly blessed.
Secondly, liberty is
something that we enjoy
but is often taken for

granted. Having been able

to run for the Shawano
County Board and to
serve as County Board
chairman, with support
from board members who
share my goals of moving the county forward
at a pace our taxpayers
can afford, is a form of
freedom not seen in many
countries.
Another liberty not
afforded to many is being

able to say what I mean

and mean what I say.
Tough when needed,
compassionate when
I must. Sometimes we
must be thankful for what
is instead of wishing for
what could have been.
Our freedom is there to
be what we want. It is our
choice.
Happiness is what we
all want in our lives. I am
happy and thankful when

Shawano County Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann enjoys a conversation with a veteran at a recent community
event in Shawano. At left, Erdmann (right) works with Shawano County officials during committee meeting.

the County Board gets it

right and the taxpayers
come before personal
interests. I am thankful
for the people I have had
the pleasure to work with
and to work for.
My greatest happiness
is my family.
When I can get on
my knees and have my
7-year-old granddaughter
and 5-year-old grandson

PHOTOS BY GREG MELLIS

come to me and give me

hugs and kisses, it cannot
get any better than that.
I am thankful for my
wife always being by my
side to support me both
mentally and physically,
those first few years when
I was home from Vietnam
there was no support for
a veteran except for their
family.
I am thankful for my

son who is always there to

be my right-hand man and
for a wonderful daughterin-law that spoils me with
her delicious desserts. I
am so blessed and thankful.
Being able to live each
day to the fullest, trying to
make a difference. What
more could I want?
I have a lot to be thankful for.