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Mary T. Reynolds
Mary T. Reynolds of Washington, D.C. and West Bend, a scholar and teacher renowned for her contributions to the field of James Joyce studies, died of non-Hodgkins lymphoma at her home in Washington on Aug. 25, 2000.
Her seminal book "Joyce and Dante: The Shaping Imagination" (1981) won praise for its comprehensive charting of the links between Dante's "Divine Comedy" and the characters, structure and details of Joyce's "Ulysses."
In addition to her own work, Dr. Reynolds actively and generously assisted her fellow Joyceans. Her support of the Chinese scholar Jin Di made possible his successful 1994 translation of "Ulysses," the first of Joyce's works to appear in Chinese.
The daughter of James P. Trackett and Mary Nachtwey Trackett, Reynolds was born in Milwaukee on Jan. 11, 1913. She spent her childhood in Appleton, graduated from Edgewood High School in Madison, and in 1935 received her bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning highest honors and election to Phi beta Kappa.
In 1997 she received a Distinguished Alumna award from her alma mater.
Reynolds won a fellowship for graduate study at Harvard, but after a year in Cambridge, appalled by the sexism in Harvard's classrooms and research facilities, she applied for a similar fellowship at Columbia University, from which she received her Ph.D. in political science in 1939.
In the early 1990s the Political Science Association honored Reynolds as one of the first 100 female recipients of this degree.
In 1940 Reynolds' first book, "Interdepartmental Committees in the National Administration," appeared. For several decades she was a professor of political science. However, in the 1960s she developed a new career at Yale University.
At Wisconsin she had studied Dante with the famous specialist Professor George Clark Sellery and won the prize for the best essay on Dante.
At Yale she taught a popular seminar on Dante and Joyce and wrote the works that established her reputation.
At the time of her death Reynolds was a trustee of the International James Joyce Foundation and an editor of both the "James Joyce Studies Annual" and the "James Joyce Quarterly," in which her last article will appear posthumously.
Mary Reynolds' roots in the West Bend area go back many generations. In 1852 her great-great-grandfather Kristoff Trakat, an immigrant from East Prussia, bought a quarter section of land at the north end of Big Cedar Lake. The farm at the end of Trackett Drive has been in the family every since.
In 1993, Mary Reynolds organized a Trackett family reunion at the lake which drew descendants not only from the U.S., but from Europe. Reynolds spent every summer at Cedar Lake and was a life-long member of the Cedar Lake Yacht Club and West Bend Country Club.
A woman of exceptionally broad interests, Reynolds was a world traveler who trekked to the base camp on Everest three times. She also studied anthropology and archeology, collected exotic orchids, hunted wild mushrooms, created the catalogue for the library of the Economic growth Center at Yale, and spent many hours in genealogical research.
Survivors include her husband of 63 years, Lloyd G. Reynolds of Washington, D.C. and West Bend; her three children, Anne R. Skinner of Williamstown, Mass., Priscilla R. Roosevelt of Washington, D.C. and Bruce L. Reynolds of Ithaca, N.Y.; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
The family is extremely grateful to Linda Worgull of West Bend for her loving care of Mary Reynolds during her final illness.
Laura A. Staerkel
Laura A. Staerkel, nee Asch, 38, of Kenosha, died Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000, at her residence.
She was born Feb. 5, 1962, in Louisville, Ky., to Albert J. and Anna J. (Akers) Asch, moving to West Bend in 1969. She was a 1980 graduate of Kewaskum High School.
Laura started her music training at the age of 3 on violin and added piano at the age of 5 as part of a large family of musicians.
During her pre-college training, she won the Washington County Concerto Contest twice on piano, first in 1976 in the junior division and again in 1980 in the senior division.
She received a music degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she majored in voice and piano.
Laura moved to Kenosha in August, 1986.
On Oct. 26, 1986, she married George L. Staerkel III at St. John's Lutheran Church, Oshkosh.
For the last 14 years, Laura had operated a private teaching studio of approximately 80 piano and voice students, as well as serving on the faculty at Carthage College as a piano and vocal instructor.
Aside from her teaching of music, she along with her husband, acted as caretakers of the Kenosha Women's Club since June of 1992.
She was a member of the National Association of Music Teachers, past president of the Kenosha affiliate (K.M.T.A.), and was currently serving as the southeast district chairman for the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association.
Laura was one of the more sought after professional accompanists in Southeast Wisconsin.
She performed vocally throughout southeast Wisconsin in many different venues ranging from classical to Broadway and currently was appearing with Critic's Choice, the VIP's and the Kenosha Pops Concert Band.
Survivors include her husband; her parents, Albert J. and Anna J. Asch of West Bend; three brothers, Glenn (Laurie) of Milwaukee, Daniel of Tokyo, Japan and David of Casper, Wy.; a sister, Carol (Randy) Stubbs of DeKalb, Ill.; a sister-in-law, Kristin Hillman (Patrick) Wanzeck of West Bend; a brother-in-law, Bob Staerkel of Oshkosh; her parents-in-law, George L. Jr. and Audrey Staerkel; and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her grandparents.
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 5 p.m. at the Carthage College Siebert Chapel, 2001 Alford Drive.
Interment will be held Monday at 10 a.m. in Sunset Ridge Memorial Park.
Visitation will be held Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Piasecki-Althaus-Thulin Funeral Home, 3720 39th Avenue, Kenosha
In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances to a music student scholarship fund to be set up in Laura's memory would be appreciated by her family.
Blessed be her memory.
Otto A. Laufer, 83
Otto A. Laufer, 83, of Hartford, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000, at the Linden Grove Health Care Center, Menomonee Falls.
He was born July 19, 1917, in West Bend, to the late Frank and Julia (nee Wiskerchen) Laufer, and married Beatrice Benike on Feb. 7, 1948, at Holy Angels Catholic Church, West Bend.
Otto graduated from West Bend High School in 1936 and went to work for the West Bend Aluminum Co. in the shipping department.
In August 1941, he was drafted into the United States Army as a private. Through steady promotions he became a 2nd lieutenant and served with the 390th Bomb Squadron in the South Pacific in charge of the bomb ordnance.
In 1946, he resigned his commission with the Army Air Force as a captain, and returned to his position at the West Bend Aluminum Co.
The West Bend Aluminum Co. later became The West Bend Co.
In 1952, Otto was transferred to Hartford as traffic manager for its Hartford Division which later became the West Bend Outboard Motors/Chrysler Plant.
In 1974 he was promoted to plant manger of Chrysler's Beaver Dam Division. Otto retired in 1986 with 50 years of service.
Otto was a member of the Courtney-Carr-Milner American Legion Post 19, Knights of Columbus, and St. Kilian Parish.
He enjoyed working and fishing.
Survivors include seven sons, Michael (Debra) of Milwaukee, Joel (Geralyn) of Hartford, Alan (Carolyn) of Hartford, Julian (Jane) of Slinger, David of Denver, Colo., Peter (Lisa) of Hartford and John of Slinger; four daughters, Rachael of Stockton, Calif., Dona of Milwaukee, Emily of Slinger and Mary of Pleasant Hill, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Muriel Laufer of West Bend; nieces; nephews; other relatives and friends.
Preceding him in death were his wife; a son, Edward; and three brothers, Emerson, Robert and Francis.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Friday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Kilian Church, Hartford.
Father Thomas Venne officiated, and interment was in St. Kilian Cemetery.
The family greeted relatives and friends at the Shimon Funeral Home, Hartford, Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.
Memorials to St. Kilian's Building Maintenance Fund or the charity of the donor's choice are appreciated.
Nancy Watkins
A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Grafton, for Nancy Watkins (nee Reindl) of Benton, Ark., 59, who died on Aug. 30, 2000.
Mrs. Watkins was born July 8, 1941. She was a registered dietitian with the health-care industry and was a member of the American Dietetics Association.
Survivors include: mother Louse Reindl of Mequon; husband Melvin Watkins of Benton, Ark.; son Melvin Jr. (Jean) Watkins of Benton, Ark.; brothers Richard Reindl of Merrill and Dale Reindl of Grafton; stepdaughter, Barbara Farrow of Atlanta, Ga.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Elsa H. Klenk
Grafton native Elsa H. Klenk, 71, died June 10, 2000 at her home in Blissfield, Mich. following a battle with cancer.
Services were held in Michigan, with burial at Pleasant View Cemetery in Blissfield, Mich.
Mrs. Klenk was born in Grafton on Dec. 10, 1928, daughter of Charles and Mathilda (nee Freyer) Mintzlaff.
She graduated from Valparaiso University with a degree in teaching. On Aug. 4, 1951 she married William J. Klenk, who preceded her in death in 1977.
At the time of her death, Mrs. Klenk was serving on the Schultz-Holmes Library Board in Blissfield, and was also a member of the Blissfield Women’s Bowling League. She belonged to the Mary Martha Circle of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Blissfield, and was a volunteer for Hospice of Lenawee.
Survivors include son William (Jane) Klenk of Westerville, Ohio; daughters Karen (Carl) Keefer of Toledo, Ohio and Julie (Samuel) Pooley of Palmyra, Mich.; sister Gertrude Schrank of Waupun; grandchildren Jacob and Molly Klenk, Jillian, Amanda and Allyson Keefer, and William, Elizabeth and Emily Pooley. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother Martin Mintzlaff and sister Ruth E. Giulian.
Memorials to the Schultz-Holmes Library of Blissfield or the Hospice of Lawanee would be appreciated.
