Wonders of Walworth County for Spring 2021

Wonders Spring 2021

Published by Southern Lakes Newspapers LLC

WALWORTH COUNTY of

Remembering ourVeterans

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WONDERS OF WALWORTH COUNTY

SPRING 2021

POPPY SCULPTURE TO HONOR THOSE WHO SERVED

By Maureen Vander Sanden CORRESPONDENT

the days leading up to Memorial Day, Mary Schlehlein joins other supporters from American Legion Auxiliaries nationwide in passing out millions of red poppies to raise money for veterans while educating about their somber symbolism.

The experience of standing outside of businesses in her hometown of Lake Geneva with the dainty, bright, crepe-paper flowers in hand has made Schlehlein realize that still too many people are unaware of the powerful tribute these poppies pay.

“So many people just walk right past you and don’t even know the meaning of this flower,” she said. “This is about honoring our veterans.”

The poppy emerged as a national symbol of sacrifice following World War I, after the publication of the 1915-poem Flanders Fields (see box on back page) which tells of battlefield scenes filled with poppies sprouted among carnage.

In 1920, the poppy became the official flower of The American Legion to memorialize the soldiers who fought and died during the war, and in 1924, distribution of poppies became a Legion national program.

“Our auxiliary unit is very passionate about teaching not only our community but the kids, what the poppy flower means, and why we honor our veterans on Memorial Day,” Schlehlein said.

Auxiliary members like Schlehlein

In

How to donate Organizers are seeking funds to offset the cost of materials, installation, lighting and landscaping for the poppy project.

Donations can be sent to American Legion Auxiliary Unit 24, Attn: Poppy Project, P.O. Box 13, Lake Geneva, WI 53147.

For future fundraising events, follow the group’s Facebook page by searching ALA, Lake Geneva.

American Legion Auxiliary volunteer Mary Schlehlein and Lake Geneva sculptor John Larkin show his 3-foot aluminum poppy that was nixed from the poppy sculpture, which will be unveiled May 1 in Library Park. The single poppy – deemed too large for the final project – was donated to the Legion and is currently sitting in meeting hall headquarters at 735 Henry St. in Lake Geneva.

MAUREEN VANDER SANDEN Wonders of Walworth County

have been supporting and celebrating veterans since the national organization was established in 1919. In her 50-member unit, the women prepare and serve meals monthly for veterans, organize their city’s Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades, and reach out to youth in the form of scholarships and quizzes, among other efforts.

For more than two years, she and others in American Legion Auxiliary Unit 24 have been working with a local artist to bring the poppy to Lake Geneva on a much larger scale.

On May 1, the city will see the unveiling

of a 7-foot-tall, aluminum poppy sculpture along the shoreline at the peaceful Library Park – a piece Schlehlein said will serve as a reminder to those who stroll past “what these many men and women gave up for us.”

The auxiliary pitched self-trained sculptor John Larkin, Lake Geneva, to carry out its vision. He didn’t hesitate to take on the project, even offering his talents free of charge.

“I was humbled and honored when they approached me with the idea of building this sculpture to memorialize our veterans,” he said. “Recognizing the sacrifices of our

veterans is extremely important.”

Though the poppy memorial is a vision of the local group, and was inspired by a similar piece in Norfolk, England, called “Poppies in Steel,” Larkin said he has had a “great deal of freedom with design and fabrication.”

This is his first outdoor public piece. His previous works are sprinkled across the county – including a 6-foot-long map of Geneva Lake on display at the Boathouse Bar and Grill, and more recently, a tree of life sculpture at Open Arms Free Clinic in Elkhorn.

Larkin is a commercial airline pilot

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The American Legion Auxiliary will be distributing poppies for Poppy Month throughout May. Unit 24 volunteers will be outside of Stinebrink’s Piggly Wiggly, 100 E. Geneva Square, Lake Geneva, May 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 21 to 23.

Donations collected from the poppies are separate from the sculpture project and will go directly to area veterans, through organizations including but not limited to the Wisconsin Veterans Home in Union Grove, The Fisher House and Zablocki Memorial in Milwaukee, homeless female veterans fund, and the Dayton Care Center in Kenosha.

who said he has discovered he enjoys the challenges of the creative process and “making something from nothing.”

His proudest piece is an aluminum sunflower with 80 petals he created for his mother for her 80th birthday.

“For me, the result of a creative project is not always readily apparent at the beginning.

It sometimes requires a thought-provoking process in order to overcome design challenges and material limitations,” he said.

Such was the case in the beginning stages of his large poppy sculpture.

Rough sketches provided a starting point for the sculpture before he got to work laying out the sheets of aluminum to begin cutting.

After fabricating his first flower for the piece, Larkin realized the 3-foot poppy was far too big if the 12 other uniquely shaped flowers were going to be included – 13 flowers to represent the 13 stripes of the American flag.

So, the artist scaled the flowers down and made other changes to create a more “harmonious balance of structure and artistry.”

The first poppy may not have been the right fit for the park piece, but Schlehlein said it’s perfect as a standalone sculpture for the Legion’s yard at 735 Henry St. The artist

John Larkin explains the process of putting one of 13 poppies together.

Each flower has nine overlapping flowers and 21 stamens and has been painted by UltraCoat in Elkhorn with powder coating, which will withstand the outdoor elements.

Renderings created by local artist Sparky Lundberg provided Larkin with the auxiliary’s vision for the sculpture that will be unveiled Saturday, May 1. Lundberg is well known in the community as a retired art teacher at Badger High School.

MAUREEN VANDER SANDEN Wonders of Walworth County

MAUREEN VANDER SANDEN Wonders of Walworth County

donated it to the legion and it’s currently sitting inside the headquarters’ meeting hall.

After revising the size of his flowers, Larkin developed an assembly-line system to create each, with their 21 black stamens and nine overlapping, bright, red petals.

The brilliant color of the flowers was achieved with powder coating – a robust paint job made to withstand the elements,

completed by UltraCoat in Elkhorn at no cost.

Larkin said he and the auxiliary members are grateful for UltraCoat’s color contribution, explaining that when he began to seek quotes for the paint, he was told by other companies the job was too entailed and costly.

John Lapajenko, who owns UltraCoat, said that in the more than two decades he has been in business, he’s enjoyed giving back to area communities in various ways – from making an iron cannon used for Civil War re-enactment appear bronze, to painting kneeling soldier-cutouts for a local VFW chapter.

“It’s just part of being a good, corporate citizen,” Lapajenko said.

“My father served and my uncle was a command master sergeant, so I have a soft spot (for the poppy project),” he added.

His production manager, Ray Sabin, has been the point person for the poppy project and is a veteran as well.

Sabin served the U.S. Army in Vietnam from ’71-’77. Assisting with the poppy project, he said, “It’s pretty cool.”

“It’s a way of representing and thanking veterans – past, present and future. This is a great project done by a great organization,” Sabin said.

The unveiling The Saturday, May 1, unveiling ceremony in Lake Geneva’s Library Park is scheduled for 10 a.m. with detailed planning still in the works.

Schlehlein said the auxiliary is still fundraising for the sculpture installation, which will include lighting and landscaping.

Donations can be sent to: American Legion Auxiliary Unit 24, Attn: Poppy Project, P.O. Box 13, Lake Geneva, WI 53147.

In addition to the unveiling, Schlehlein said the auxiliary plans to gather again by the sculpture following the Memorial Day parade that her group organizes, among a number of other veterans’ outreach community events and projects.

“Our whole group is passionate about serving and helping out veterans as much as our small group can,” she said. “We owe everything to all our veterans. They give their lives for us every day.”

Wonders of Walworth County

A publication of Southern Lakes Newspapers LLC and The Beacon 1102 Ann St., Delavan, WI 53115 • (262) 728-3411 GENERAL MANAGER: .....................................Sue Z. Lange EDITOR: .....................................................Tracy Ouellette CREATIVE/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: ................Heidi Schulz PAGE DESIGNER: ...........................................Jen DeGroot ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: ......................Vicki Vanderwerff Aluminum poppies await powder coating, which will give them a brilliant red and black finish. The artist included a scratch-like texture to catch more light.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Wonders of Walworth County

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Peonies

Area man colors the world with hybrid flowers For aficionados of

by Tracy Ouellette flowers, especially peony EDITOR flowers, Roger Anderson is a well-known name. His work with hybrid peonies is internationally known and he is considered one of the greats in the horticulture world.

What many people in the area don’t know is that Anderson, who will be 83 in April, has done his groundbreaking work with intersectional hybrid peonies locally in Whitewater and Fort Atkinson.

“I always liked flowers, even when I was younger,” Anderson said. “My granddad and grandmother used to watch me when I was younger and they raised gladioli and when I would go down there, I’d always be sticking my nose in them and smelling them.

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PEONIES • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 but that was something I tried to keep undercover. I didn’t want that nickname spread around.”

Anderson said his grandmother on the Anderson side of his family was “great with flowers” and her passion for them sparked his interest.

“She really liked flowers. I loved my grandmother and eventually I got into peonies. I started with glads, like her, and then a friend suggested I get into the peony world because they were looking for a good, yellow peony and they thought I could help with that.”

Anderson said he didn’t think he’s be very successful with creating a yellow hybrid peony, as he had no formal horticulture training, just an interest, but he started to research the flowering plant and eventually, changed the peony world.

“It’s a passion and a challenge,” Anderson said. “When I first got into this a couple of guys had succeeded with this cross, but other than those people, the peony breeders were trying to make this cross for about 60 years.”

Anderson said the plants are not very compatible with each other.

“I was lucky to find a lactiflora herbaceous peony that would accept pollen from a lutea hybrid tree peony,” he said.

“The intersectional peony, or Itoh peony, is a cross between the herbaceous lactiflora and the Lutea hybrid tree peony. At one time the peony world thought this cross was impossible after being unsuccessful for over 60 years. In 1957 it happens, a Japanese man by the name of Itoh had success.”

The result of this hybrid cross produced a vibrant yellow peony that Anderson named “Bartzella.”

“I’m the only person who has two intersectional peonies that have Gold Medal Awards from the American Peony Society,” Anderson said. “That’s an annual award that I got in 2006 for my yellow Bartzella peony and just last year, my Hillary peony received the award in 2020 and for 2021 the American Peony Society named Hillary the Peony of the Year.”

Anderson is also the first to produce intersectional hybrid peonies in all colors. A recent APS survey ranked the most popular peonies out of 506 entries by 72 members.

When the peonies were narrowed down to 20 submissions, Anderson said he had three of his hybrids in the Top 20.

“My Bartzella was No. 1, my Cora Louise 15 and my First Arrival was 16/19, I think there was a tie there,” he said.

Anderson also was awarded the 2003 Saunders Memorial Award, the highest award from the APS, for his accomplishments in peony breeding.

Recording for history David Cartwright, a retired philosophy professor from the University of WisconsinWhitewater, has written a book about Anderson.

“We’ve been friends for about 29 years,” Cartwright said. “I read an article about him in 1992 … I’ve always has an interest and I decided to go to his garden and look at his plants.”

Cartwright said Anderson is not what people might expect when they meet him.

“He’s the type of guy who looks like he’d be more at home in a biker bar than for raising world-famous peonies,” he said.

“He’s internationally renowned for his work with flowers but he’s a blue collar worker who prides himself for his breeding program and his innovative approach to breeding his peonies, but he’s one of the most generous, down-to-earth people I know.”

Cartwright added that what most people don’t know about Anderson is his “deep

An introduction

ROY G. KLEHM Wonders of Walworth County

SUBMITTED PHOTO Wonders of Walworth County

Previous page: Roger Anderson, of Whitewater, has successfully produced peonies in all colors through his hybrid intersectional crossing methods. This award-winning yellow peony, which Roger Anderson created through a hybrid cross, is called Bartzella. from top: This tree peony of Anderson’s is called “Communion Wine”; Roger Anderson and his wife, Sandra, work together in their garden a few years back. Roger is internationally known for his hybrid peonies.

spirituality” and love of the Lord.

“When you’re talking and interacting with him, he doesn’t wear it on his sleeve, but there’s a kind of depth to his religiosity.

In fact, the Bartzella was named after his Lutheran minister, who was named Bartz.

Roger’s wife, Sandra, thought it was too harsh of a name for a flower so they added ‘ella’ at the end and that’s how it got its odd name. Odd, but very memorable.”

Creating a memory was the reason Cartwright decided to write a book about Anderson. Titled “Out of Wisconsin: Bartzella and the Peonies of Roger F. Anderson” the book offers an historical accounting on Anderson’s work with peonies.

“I give it a broad, historical sweep,” Cartwright said. “I put his breeding program in a historical context from China to Europe to the eastern United States to the Midwest to Roger.”

The book hasn’t been published yet, although the narrative has been written (see the introduction in the related article).

“It’s a work in progress,” Cartwright said.

“Right now, I’m working on getting good photos of all the flowers and plants, that’s not as easy as it sounds.”

He added that he felt it was important to document Anderson’s work over the years for future generations.

“It’s a fascinating story,” he said. “His work is groundbreaking and it needs to be recorded.”

Retired, but still working Anderson says he’s retired now and only putters around the gardens with his wife for fun. Of course the Andersons’ yard is full of peonies, irises, lilies and other trees and plants for him to tend.

“I’ve never liked being cooped up in the house,” he said. “I enjoy being outside, unless the Packers are playing.”

So, even in retirement, Roger and Sandra spend much of their time in the garden.

“For all those years it was a ma and pop deal with my wife – she’s an iris lady,” he said. “We had quite a few flowers, the two of us. I sold out completely started up again twice over the years, but now it’s just us and our yard. Sandra was a better gardener than I. I just named one of my peonies after her. She had a stroke several years ago, but she still does some gardening, I bought her a golf cart for her to get around.

“We’ll probably do this with our last breath.”

Author David Cartwright shared the introduction to his book, “Out of Wisconsin: ‘Bartzella’ and the Peonies of Roger F. Anderson.”

Once again the peonies put on their dazzling show. For over 20 years, like clockwork, in early June the huge yellow double flowers unfold, proudly standing over the deep green, gently cut foliage. It has been such a constant phenomenon that some people who traveled West down Grogan Road, a quiet country road outside Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, took the plants to be natives, like the Ironwood, Red Maple, Burr and White Oak, and Green Ash that reigned over the landscape.

Yet they are not native. Wisconsin has no native species of peonies. Indeed, there are only two species of peonies native to the United States: Paeonia brownie, indigenous to the mountain and high desert areas of the Pacific Northwest, Idaho, California, Nevada, and Wyoming; and Paeonia california, local to central and southern California. And even if such plants could thrive in southern Wisconsin, their flowers would never catch the eye of the casual traveler.

Frequently some curious travelers were moved to investigate. Turning south from Grogan onto Poeppel Road, at the intersection with Sunset Lane, they would encounter a 4- by 8-foot sign bearing a painting of the delightful yellow flower. The sign read: “Welcome to Callie’s Beaux Jardins, Intersectional Hybrids.”

Sometimes such accidental tourists would stop to talk to the friendly, bearded man, with tattoos covering his biceps, about whom Jim Wilson of Victory Garden fame attributed “shoulders an ax handle wide,” and the gracious, well-coiffed, tall, beautiful woman, both of whom could be found tending the garden. Of course, many such visitors would also want to inquire about purchasing one of these stunning scene stealers. It would be then that these visitors would be like the numerous deliberate tourists, traveling from all over the United States, from Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and the Netherlands to see and purchase these wonderful plants.

If visitors were inquisitive, Roger Anderson would tell them the story of his intersectional peonies and of his world famous double yellow with the odd name “Bartzella.” And if he had the time, and if a tour bus filled with Garden Club members from Chicago, Janesville, Green Bay, Madison, or Milwaukee did not happen to roll in, the interested visitor might hear Roger tell a long story regarding his plants, while Sandra Anderson would keep working.

Chinese peonies and Europe The story Roger would tell begins in China, where peonies have been cultivated for centuries; first for their medical or pharmaceutical uses and later also for their aesthetic charm. There were two types of peonies: herbaceous peonies, those with foliage that dies down to the ground each year, only to renew themselves in the next spring; and tree peonies, deciduous shrubs that shed their leaves each fall, but their woody branches remain visible during the winter, only to leaf out and flower in the spring.

The Chinese referred to herbaceous peonies as “Sha-yao,” and tree peonies as “Moutan.” The dominant, cultivated herbaceous specie in China was Paeonia lactiflora. Early in their introduction to Europe, Chinese tree peonies were simply and broadly classified as Paeonia suffruticosa.

Chinese tree peonies were introduced to Japan about 1,500 years ago, and the Japanese hybridizers tended to operate on an aesthetic that focused on the detail of the plant rather than its overall effect. Due to the differences in their hybridizing, many people distinguish between Chinese and Japanese tree peonies, although there is no distinction between the two from a botanical standpoint.

trong

SPRING 2021

by Mariann

Hunter

CONTRIBUTOR

Traveling for treatment For the last six years, Andrew has been participating in Sarepta Therapeutics clinical trial. Once accepted in the trial, the family began traveling to where related programs were offered, which began with weekly visits to Iowa for infusions.

In April of 2015, they moved to Florida

Page 7

IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES

Teen battling muscular dystrophy loves life, music and laughing Andrew Rocha is like many young teenagers. He loves music, singing at the top of his lungs (especially rap music), watching movies, is a major foodie (aspiring to be a chef someday), enjoys watching “The Simpsons” and is quite the gamer, especially when playing Fortnite.

But the 13-year-old from Elkhorn is also in a real-life battle, with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which he was diagnosed with at the age of 6. DMD is a genetic disorder characterized by the progressive loss of muscle. It’s a multi-systemic condition that affects many parts of the body and leads to deterioration of the skeletal, heart and lung muscles.

Andrew, a seventh grader at Elkhorn Area Middle School, uses a wheelchair most of the time and will soon be fitted for a powerchair. There is only one problem: the family is in need of an accessible van. Enter Andrew’s Crew, a group on a mission to help the family purchase a van as well as other vital equipment essential to Andrew’s care.

The journey to his diagnosis began when Andrew’s parents, Joe and Gina Rocha, noticed his feet were extremely flat.

Andrew’s physical education teacher also reported he was having a hard time running.

“In September of 2013, we took him to his pediatrician for a physical and soon after we were referred to Children’s Hospital for an orthopedic consultation. After many tests, x-rays, different range-of-motion exercises and a lot of stretching, it was clear this was much more than just a flat-footed situation,” Gina explained.

Doctors ordered a creatine kinase lab test – CK is an enzyme present in every person’s muscles. A normal range would be between 50 and 150; Andrew’s level was 17,600, which indicated muscle deterioration.

A few months later, in January of 2014, the family was referred back to Children’s Hospital, this time for a neurological exam.

“After two of their doctors examined him and he had a slew of tests, they told to us that he definitely has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Unfortunately, it was the worst news we could hear. And so, our journey began to discover the best course of action for Andrew,” Gina said.

WONDERS OF WALWORTH COUNTY

Andrew’s Crew on the go The group leading the fundraising effort to help the Rocha family purchase an accessible van will be present at several events in the coming weeks: • May 19, Andrew’s Crew will sponsor a hole and raise funds at the Elkhorn Area Chamber Golf Outing.

The shotgun start will be at 1 p.m. and the event includes fun and games on the course; • May 22, the crew will have a booth at the Spring Food Truck Festival in downtown Elkhorn on the square. The event, which runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature 20-plus food trucks along with commercial vendors, live music and more.

Andrew Rocha (front) was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy when he was 6 years old.

Now 13 and wheelchair bound most of the time, efforts are underway to raise money so his family – parents, Joe and Gina, and sister, Macy – can travel together to Macy’s softball games and take other fun road trips. Top: This photo shows Andrew in 2014, shortly after his diagnosis with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disorder characterized by the progressive loss of muscle.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Wonders of Walworth County

so Andrew could continue with the trial. In 2018, they moved back to Wisconsin to be closer to family and their support network.

When the trial began, Andrew was one of the first 18 participants; today there are 260. The trial will continue through July 2022.

Andrew’s medical journey has included two muscle biopsies, four port surgeries (waiting on the fifth one to be scheduled), infusions every week since January 2017, numerous doctor’s appointments and countless hours of tests, lab work and therapies. Andrew requiring a wheelchair most of the time has been an emotional transition for the family, according to Gina.

“He will be getting fitted for a powerchair soon, which we are hoping will give him some newfound freedom. Right now, we are not able to travel very far but we look forward to being able to travel with him and the entire family,” Gina said.

The family applied to the Jett Foundation’s Accessible Vehicle Fund, which was established in 2017 to assist

families impacted by DMD in purchasing unaffordable but vital accessibility equipment. Unfortunately, the Rochas were denied at this time.

The need for a van is becoming more urgent, as the family is forced to use their 2010 Ford Fusion with almost 200,000 miles on it because Andrew can maneuver in and out of the vehicle. However, it’s becoming a safety issue, which is why Andrew’s Crew is focused on helping the family get a van.

Any additional funds raised will be used to purchase a safe and comfortable roll-in shower chair and a hoist that can help lift Andrew as needed.

About the family Joe runs his own company, Rocha Construction, and helps coach the high school and traveling softball teams Andrew’s sister, Macy, plays on. Gina has been selling licensed Harley-Davidson products for the last 20-plus years and said her customers are

like extended family who continue to support and pray for the whole family.

Macy is a junior at Elkhorn Area High School and is one of her brother’s biggest supporters. She plans on playing softball after high school and attending Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

When the family visited the college, they had a meeting with the softball coach from the school. Andrew, who asked the coach how the wheelchair accessibility is at the softball field, clearly plans to attend some of his sister’s games.

Since COVID-19 hit, Andrew has been in virtual school since he has a compromised immune system. He said he likes math and reading.

“I like online school better – it’s a different pace than being in school. But I do miss being in school, you know, talking faceto-face and seeing classmates and teachers,” Andrew said.

According to Gina, the family is overwhelmed with the support system they have.

“The school district here in Elkhorn is one of the reasons we moved back to this area.

They have bent over backwards to help – not only with Andrew’s schedule modifications, but most importantly by making him feel included,” she said.

If the family is able to get a van, they have plenty of things on their wish list.

“It would be great to be able to check out the Lego store at the Mall of America and go to big cities to eat authentic ethnic food but, most of all, we would love to be able to join Joe and Macy when they travel out of town for softball games,” Gina said.

To help support fundraising efforts for the Rocha family, visit gofundme.com and search “Help Andrew Get an Accessible Van.” The goal is to raise $35,000.

Page 8

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