Spoil your sweetheart at dinner for Wauzeka veterans memorial
This bronze, fiberglass eagle statue was created by Sculptor David Oswald, of Sparta. It will serve as the centerpiece of the memorial. It is currently in storage.
By Correne Martin
The community of Wauzeka has raised $21,000 toward a memorial recognizing its veterans, past and present. This Saturday, for the Sweethearts Steak Dinner fundraiser, organizers are hoping to increase that amount significantly.
The Wauzeka Area Veterans Memorial project has been a difficult one for the committee of volunteers, who have, for the second time, relocated the future site of the memorial—this time to the Wauzeka cemetery. Originally, it was to be erected at the boat landing, but the Department of Natural Resources wouldn’t allow it in the floodplain. Then, in 2015, the site moved to a more visible location along Highway 60, across from Bassett Trucking, but the land was eventually deemed too small. Since then, the Wauzeka Cemetery Association donated a portion of its land on County N.
“We were disappointed to have to relocate it a second time, especially away from the visibility of the highway,” stated Joanne Peloch, a committee member. “But, now, when you consider how peaceful and serene it is at the cemetery—where many of our veterans are buried—it seems like the perfect place for visitors to pay their respects.”
Peloch said there’s also a lot of room for parking along Cemetery Road; plus the possibility of having a Memorial Day program there, alongside the memorial, is one they welcome.
“There have been some bumps in the road, but we will continue until it is done. Our brave men and women in our Armed Forces never gave up, so we can’t either,” Peloch said.
This weekend is the committee’s biggest fundraiser for the memorial, the Sweethearts Steak Supper. On Saturday, Feb. 11, at Century Hall from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., grilled steaks, hot dogs, baked potatoes, baked beans, salad and dessert will be served. Carryouts and deliveries are available. Tickets can be purchased at the door. All proceeds will benefit the project.
Anyone unable to attend may still provide monetary donations by mailing them to the Wauzeka Area Veterans Memorial, c/o Peoples State Bank, 106 S. Business St., P.O. Box 185, Wauzeka, WI 53826.
The design of the veterans memorial, which will be done by Eternal Art Monument Company, of Boscobel, represents the overall contributions and sacrifices Wauzeka area veterans have made for their country and community. The monument will feature a bronze fiberglass eagle with a 10-foot wingspan, which cost $7,000 and is in storage, awaiting its final resting place. The names etched into the granite tablets will be gleaned from the Wauzeka area and include men and women who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines, dating back to World War I.
The Wauzeka Area Veterans Memorial committee consists of Roni Gundlach, Suzette Ray and Kathleen Kramer, who are largely in charge of the steak dinner, as well as Deb McCarthy and Joanne Peloch. Also, Gloria and Carl Thompson have provided the committee all of the veterans’ names and information thus far.
To provide a veteran’s name to be etched into the granite tablets, free of charge, or to purchase in-memory brick pavers or three-foot granite benches to be added to the finished memorial, individuals and organizations may contact Joanne Peloch at pjpeloch@gmail.com or (608) 875-6489 or visit the project website: wauzekaveteransmemorial.com.
