The La Crosse Tribune from La Crosse, Wisconsin • Page 3

La Crosse Tribune, Sunday, May 26, C. C. Congressman, Governor Grave Site Showing Its Age Washburn Marker In Oak Grove Cemetery Fence Around Grave Is Showing Wear Alcohol Counselor Receives Awards PRAIRIE DU CHIEN. Wis Edward Berka, alcoholism counselor for the Southwest Wisconsin Mental Health Center, recently was awarded two certificates of merit and achieve- Following a year of classroom nd field instruction, he eom- ileted the requirements of the eminar and alcoholism with the )epartment of Education. Feli- ian College.

Chicago. Ill Berka is one of the first Icoholism counselors to be cer- ified in Wisconsin under the luspices of Counselors Alliance in Alcoholism and Associated This certification is in oneert with the Division of dental Hygiene, the Wisconsin Association of Alcoholism and )ther Drug Abuse and the Wisconsin Professional Society Addiction Berka has been on the iouthwest Wisconsin Mental lealth Center here since ieptomber. 1972 SORGE, INC. OPEN WEEKDAYS 8-5 P.M. LATER BY APPOINTMENT Midwest dealer for: Custom Pools Residential Commercial Fully insulated Non-rusting aluminum construction Long-term financing available Local Representative: Allen Peterson, Phone 788-2017 Please send me free 1974 color brochure and advise me how I can save hundreds of dollars on a CUSTOM POOL! SORGE, INC.

CUSTOM POOLS DIV. 818 S. 3rd La Crosse, Wis. Phone (608) 784-6775 NAME. ADDRESS PHONE By THOMAS RISTOW Tribune Journalism Intern At the center of Oak Grove Cemetery, near the mausoleum, is the grave of Cadwallader Colden Washburn soldier, mill owner.

philanthropist. Congressman and governor of Wisconsin. The grave marker is a 45-foot stone obelisk in a 6.081-square- foot plot Outside of the mausoleum itself, the Washburn monument is probably the most striking and largest manmade object in the cemetery. But the grave has fallen into disrepair and. with no money to finance fixing the area, it stands to fall into further disrepair.

The monument is granite and can withstand the elements, but the wrought iron fence surrounding the site is badly rusted and wobbly, its joints weakened by weather According to Eldred Wang, foreman of the Oak Grove Cemetery Association, the fence hasn't been painted or looked after in the time he's been there, that's 35 or 40 years" It really should be sandblasted It would take a long time to brush this whole thing, and wherever bolted, the bolts are Wang said can't just paint over this rust Beverly Peterson, assistant secretary of the Oak Grove Cemetery Association, said the last time money had been paid for the grave's upkeep was 1958. She explained that now. by law. persons buying a cemetery lot must pay care or an amount of money equal to $1 a square foot for upkeep. In the case of the Washburn plot, the cost would be $6,081.

she said. Instead, a trust fund was set up to take care of upkeep. Mrs. Peterson explained, and annual dues or were paid. These dues were two cents a square foot each year or $121.60 a year.

Money in the trust fund apparently ran out in 1958. she said. Wang said annual dues cover groundwork, mowing and edging around the monument, but would not cover the cost of fixing the fence. Since 1958. though.

Wang said he's mowed the Washburn plot so it would not detract from appearance of the rest of the cemetery. would look kind of bad if we let it go to he said. But. he noted, grass is growing over the top of the fence's concrete base and trimming is needed around the monument A few persons have talked about paying upkeep. Wang said, but no action has been taken.

summer, a guy came from Minneapolis and talked about paying something, but nothing came of Ultimately, a cemetery can reclaim a plot except that part where a person is buried if dues or perpetual care are not paid. Mrs Peterson said. But she said this was not likely in Oak case, since the cemetery would only reclaim if it needed more land this cemetery it will take a long time before we run out of she said Washburn was Republican governor of Wisconsin for one term. 1871-1872, and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1855 through 1861 and from 1865 through 1869.

He took time off from Congress to fight in the Civil War. raising a regiment and being commissioned first colonel and then brigadier general despite having no military background. After the war. Washburn became an industrialist, building a large milling business in Minneapolis. His flour was the first nonEuropean flour to win a gold medal in international competition and has been known as Gold Medal Flour ever since.

(Washburn Crosby Mills was one of many such firms incorporated into General Mills in 1928. General Mills now manufactures Gold Medal Flour i Washburn was born in 1818 in Livermore. Maine, and came to Mineral Point to practice law in 1842 He moved with his family to La Crosse in 1861. He died in 1882 in Eureka Springs. a health spa where he was seeking to recover from an illness.

At his death. estate was valued at some $3 million. He reputedly was the largest single owner of mill property in the world. Before his death. Washburn built and equipped Washburn Observatory of the University of Wisconsin, and the state at legislature made him an honorary regent as long as his In his will.

Washburn grantecF $375,000 to a Minneapolis orphanage and $50,000 to La Crosse to build and equip library, which it did in 1888 This 1 was replaced by the present library in 1967 at the same 8th and Main Street site. While Washburn was governor, an act of the legislature made it" legal for cities to operate libraries. La Crosse home still stands at 612 Ferry St. Coulee Farm Nursery Phone 782-6966 Complete Assortment of Finest Quality Nursery Stock Open 7 Days a Week 8 Evenings From Kwik Trip on Hwy. 16 take Co.

Trk. 1 mile to Smith Valley Road then miles to nursery MS A THOUGHT i FOR THE WEEK By RICHARD E. NELSON On Memorial Day, families and friends join in tribute to honor those who died in service to their country. It is a sentimental day which through the years has caused more and more families to listen to echoes of wartime hopes and promises. Veterans organizations sponsor parades with reverent wreath-laying ceremonies in traditional respect for those who laid their lives on the line and lost.

Memorial Day does not symbolize militarism or glorification of war It is a day on which it is seen there is no glory to war; only death. It is truly a "time to weep and a time to mourn" It can and should be a time for rededication to the principles of universal brotherhood; a worldwide brotherhood of reappraised attitudes to condemn war wherever it may be or whoever may be in it. It has been often asked if an atmosphere of brotherly respect and tolerance without war can ever prevail. Some thoughts on this subject will appear here next week. Watch for them NELSON FUNERAL HOME 1007 Caledonia 782-4563 Art Festival Deadline June 1 RICHLAND CENTER.

Wis The deadline for registering for the Festival in the here June 15 and 16 is June 1. Festival chairman Edward Fink said there will be two $200 and two $100 awards and numerous other cash and merchandize prizes totaling $975. All professional and semiprofessional artists are being invited to exhibit and sell their works to the public The festival is being sponsored bv the Richland Countv Javcees. Court Supervisor Receives Award Peter Dwyer, supervisor of Juvenile Court Services. La Crosse County Social Services, has been selected by the La Crosse Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa to receive its annual Contributions to Education by a Lay Person Award Dwyer was recognized for his efforts in working with schools and students involved in truancy.

His efforts in this area has resulted in greater attendance by students with previous truancy problems. Elected officers for the 1974-75 year for the La Crosse Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa include Earl Munns. president; Paul Nemen, vice president. Terry Witzke. recording secretary; Robert Gowland.

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