Historical Society

Taylor County Historical Society November Board Meeting Thursday, November 20, 2025 Meeting called to order by Sara Nuernberger at 9:35 a.m. Present: Diane Albrecht, Bruce Albrecht, John Johnson, Julie Janke, Marvel Lemke, Louise Paul, Arlene Strama, Shirley Pleus, Donna Doriot, Sara Nuernberger, and Mary Schultz. The agenda was approved with a motion by Diane Albrecht, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. The minutes of the July board meeting were approved as distributed with a motion by Diane Albrecht, seconded by Louise Paul. Motion carried. The treasurer’s report was read and approved with a motion by Marvel Lemke, seconded by Arlene Strama. Motion carried. Sara stated that the color printer was returned and that will be shown on the next treasurer’s report. The 9 -month CD was renewed and will mature May 8, 2026. Correspondence: We received a thank -you note from Susan Apps who did the one -room school presentation. Old Business: Log Cabin Repairs; Kurt Staab will do the repairs. He will come and talk to the board about it. He would also like some volunteers to help him. Office Addition Update: It should be done by early January. A new scanner was purchased for $443 and a color printer will be purchased for $250. News Business: Furniture and Storage for Office; pre -made cabinets will be cheaper, estimated cost at $200 - $350 each. We would also like a built-in counter as a workspace. New signage will be needed when the office is finished. Sara will get quotes. Painting Projects: the jail and the schoolhouse steps need staining/painting. Sara will get a quote from Marlene Brandner. The front of the Print Shop also needs some work. 2026 Payroll Account; there is $4,446.58 in the account through the end of November. 2026 Museum Open Hours; the museum will close the last two weeks in December and reopen March 19, 2026. Discussion on additional hours during the closed time will be discussed at the January meeting. 2026 Budget; the budget’s revenues and disbursements were reviewed prior to the budget meeting in January. It was suggested to put the county grant into the payroll account. 2026 Elections; officers whose terms are expiring in January, 2026, are Sara Nuernberger, Amanda Jensen, Louise Paul, Julie Janke, Shirley Pleus, and Diane Albrecht. All agreed to another term. Elections will be held at the January membership meeting. A motion was made to adjourn by Diane Albrecht, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m. Respectfully Submitted by Mary Schultz, Secretary Taylor County Historical Society General Membership Meeting September 18, 2025 Meeting called to order by President Sara Nuernberger at 5:30 p.m. Present: Julie Janke, Louise Paul, Shirley Pleus, Pat Pleus, Donna Doriot, Chuck Doriot, Chuck Prihoda, Julie Prihoda, Sara Nuernberger, and Mary Schultz. The agenda was approved with a motion by Pat Pleus, seconded by Shirley Pleus. Motion carried. The minutes of the June membership meeting were approved as distributed with a motion by Louise Paul, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. The treasurer’s report was read and approved with a motion by Pat Pleus, seconded by Chuck Prihoda. Motion carried. President’s Report: Sara attended the county budget meeting. The county board has budgeted the $13,000 grant for 2026. Curator’s Report: Sara and Mary have been going through Bob Ruesch’s files and working on an inventory of items in the storeroom. We received a donation of several photos from the Ecklund/Hurd families and items from Jorie Nelson estate which included a knit ski suit, probably belonging to her mother. Old Business: Forty-one people attended the Wisconsin History Makers tour one -room school presentation with author Susan Bodily Apps held at the theater on Sept. 9th. The office addition is on hold, waiting for the delivery of trusses. New Business: The office needs a scanner with auto document feed and a color printer. The estimated cost of the scanner is $450, and the color printer is $250. A motion was made by Chuck Doriot, seconded by Chuck Prihoda, to purchase the needed scanner and color printer. Motion carried. Discussion: Chuck Prihoda brought up a discussion regarding a historical marker honoring Tombstone Pizza be placed in Medford. The group agreed it was a good idea, but we would not be taking the lead on the project. A motion was made to adjourn by Julie Janke, seconded by Chuck Prihoda. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 5:58 p.m. Respectfully Submitted by Mary Schultz, Secretary Taylor County Historical Society July Board Meeting Thursday, July 17, 2025 Meeting called to order by Sara Nuernberger at 9:35 a.m. Present: John Johnson, Diane Albrecht, Donna Doriot, Shirley Pleus, Terry Schultz, Marvel Lemke, Louise Paul, Bruce Albrecht, Sara Nuernberger, Arlene Strama, Julie Janke, Mary Schultz. The agenda was approved with a motion by Terry Schultz, seconded by Diane Albrecht. Motion carried. The minutes of the March board meeting were approved with one correction; the one -room school presentation as part of the Wisconsin History Maker Tour will be held on Tuesday, September 9 th at the Broadway Theatre in Medford. The motion to approve was made by Marvel Lemke, seconded by Louise Paul. Motion carried. The treasurer’s report was read and approved with a motion by Arlene Strama, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. President’s Report: Sara discussed having future membership meetings in the Senior Citizen Center. She will ask the ARDC office. Sara and Mary have been doing an inventory and culling items which don’t pertain to Taylor county history. Old Business: Repairs to the log cabin. Kurt Staab has indicated he will work with us in the spring of 2026 to make repairs to the log cabin. The fair schedule for the museum is Friday from 9:00 to 6:00 and the village from 3:00 to 6:00, Saturday 11:00 to 5:00 for both the museum and village. The Wisconsin History Maker Tour author talk by Susan Apps-Bodily on the history of one-room schools, will be held at the Broadway Theater in Medford on September 9 th. It will be advertised in the Star News and on our Facebook page.. Office Addition Update: Sara handed out the plans for the addition. Sara will check prices for built-in cupboards. Staff Salaries: Sara and Mary left the meeting. Marvel Lemke took over the meeting and explained the county compensation plan. A motion was made by Arlene Strama, seconded by Julie Janke, to place the curator/director’s position at grade E, step 3 with a pay rate of $18.47 based on the 2025 Taylor County Compensation Plan, and the assistant curator position grade E, step 1 with a pay rate of $17.44, effective 7/17/2025, with pay rates revisited on the employees’ anniversary dates. Terry Schultz abstained from voting. Motion carried. A motion to adjourn was made by Shirley Pleus, seconded by Diane Albrecht. Motion carried. Respectfully Submitted by Mary Schultz, Secretary Taylor County Historical Society General Membership Meeting June 19, 2025 Meeting called to order by President Sara Nuernberger at 5:35 p.m. Present: Donna Doriot, Chuck Doriot, Chuck Prihoda, Julie Prihoda, Julie Janke, Marvel Lemke, Diane Albrecht, Bruce Albrecht, Mary Spiels, LeRoy (Spike) Spiels, Patti Smith, Shirley Pleus, Pat Pleus, Louise Paul, Sara Nuernberger, Mary Schultz. The agenda was approved with a motion by Patti Smith, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. The minutes of the April membership meeting were approved as distributed with a motion by Julie Janke, seconded by Bruce Albrecht. Motion carried. The treasurer’s report was read and approved with a motion by Louise Paul, seconded by Marvel Lemke. Motion carried. President’s Report: Bob Rusch items have been donated to the museum by his family. These include newspapers, photos, maps, logging camp information and his research of the Rib Lake area. Curator’s Report: 256 Rib Lake Herald newspapers from the Bob Rusch collection have been accessioned. Old Business: Repairs to the log cabin have been postponed until next year. The Taylor County Sportsmen’s Club Youth Expo had over four hundred students attending. Maplefest went well. The historical society will participate again next year. The bid for the addition to the ARDC/Historical Society office addition and remodel will be voted on next week at the County Board. It is planned to start in August and be finished in January. New Business: The 2025 fair schedule for the historical society will be Friday, July 25, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, July 26, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The motion to adjourn was made by Diane Albrecht, seconded by Shirley Pleus. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 5:53 p.m. Respectfully Submitted by Mary Schultz, Secretary Taylor County Historical Society General Membership Meeting April 24, 2025 Meeting called to order by Sara Nuernberger at 5:32 p.m. Present: Julie Janke, Arlene Strama, Louise Paul, Shirley Werner, Diane Albrecht, Bruce Albrecht, Sara Nuernberger, and Mary Schultz. The agenda was approved with a motion by Diane Albrecht, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. The minutes of the January membership meeting were approved as distributed with a motion by Julie Janke, seconded by Diane Albrecht. Motion carried. The treasurer’s report was read and approved with a motion by Arlene Strama, seconded by Louise Paul. Motion carried. Correspondence: We received a thank-you note for our membership renewal at St. Ann’s. President’s Report: We have received numerous historical items from the Robert Ruesch estate. These include research Bob did, maps, photos, newspapers, etc. Curator’s Report: We received donations of a Stetsonville Fire Department helmet and nylon stockings from the 1940s. We are also receiving a local Medford shoemaker’s sewing machine. Old Business: Repairs to the log cabin. Sara will work with Kurt Staab and see what he thinks needs to be done. Sara and Mary audited the treasurer’s 2024 books. New Business: We need several more volunteers for our table at Maplefest. The renewal of the 12 -month CD was discussed. A motion was made by Julie Janke, seconded by Shirley Werner, to automatically renew the CD for 12 months. Motion carried. Youth Day is scheduled for Friday, May 16th. We need several more volunteers. The motion to adjourn was made by Diane Albrecht, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 5:58 p.m. Respectfully Submitted by Mary Schultz, Secretary Taylor County Historical Society March Board Meeting Thursday, March 20, 2025 Meeting called to order by Sara Nuernberger at 9:10 a.m. Present: John Johnson, Julie Janke, Sara Nuernberger, Marvel Lemke, Shirley Pleus, Arlene Strama, Louise Paul, Mary Schultz The agenda was approved with a motion by Marvel Lemke, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. The minutes of the November board meeting were approved as distributed with a motion by Shirley Pleus, seconded by Louise Paul. Motion carried. The treasurer’s report was read and approved with a motion by Julie Janke, seconded by Marvel Lemke. Motion carried. Correspondence: St. Ann’s annual membership of $25.00 is due. President’s Report: The ARDC addition is on hold pending approval by the state. Sara will work on the Main Street history project this summer. Curator’s Report: We received a donation of a sewing machine used in a shoe repair shop on Main Street in Medford. Old Business: Repairs to the log cabin. Sara will work with Kurt Staab and see what he thinks needs to be done. Sara and Mary will audit the 2024 treasurer’s books. The one-room school presentation as part of the Wisconsin History Maker Tour will be held on Tuesday, September 10, at the Medford theater. New Business: The museum will have a booth on April 26th at Maplefest to be held at the Simek Center. Volunteers are needed. Sara explained the Wisconsin Historical Society Mini Grant. Since it is a matching fund limited item grant, we will not be applying for it this year. Sara and her brother will look over the equipment outside the garage and decide what to keep or discard. Much of the equipment is badly rusted. The April 26th general membership meeting will need to be changed as that is Maplefest. The motion to adjourn was made by Arlene Strama, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. Respectfully Submitted Mary Schultz, Secretary Taylor County Historical Society General Membership Meeting January 18, 2025 Meeting called to order by Sara Nuernberger at 11:04 a.m. Present: Marvel Lemke, Sandra Hartwig, Diane Albrecht, Bruce Albrecht, Sue Breneman, Bill Breneman, Chuck Doriot, Donna Doriot, Shirley Pleus, Patrick Pleus, Jim Peterson, Shirley Werner, Julie Janke, Sara Nuernberger, and Mary Schultz. A motion was made by Diane Albrecht, seconded by Bill Breneman, to approve the agenda. Motion carried. The minutes of the September 2024 general membership meeting were approved as distributed with a motion by Marvel Lemke, seconded by Chuck Doriot. Motion carried. The treasurer’s report was read by Donna Doriot and approved with a motion by Diane Albrecht, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. President’s Report: The Star News is doing a trivia game and asked the historical society to participate. Sara sent them some questions. Sara explained the Medford Main Street history project which will list the owners and occupants of the buildings on Main Street. Sara explained what the county will be doing with the museum office. The plan is to extend the office west to the parking lot curb and divide it in half. The north half will be the museum office. The south half will have three ARDC offices, connected by a hallway with their existing offices. The museum entrance will be on the north side. Ann Rusch is donating items from Bob’s Rib Lake Historical Society museum. The Wisconsin Historical Society has asked us to host a History Makers Tour. The cost is covered by grants. Sara has chosen a speaker on one-room schools, Susan Apps-Bodilly. The program is tentatively set for September 2025. We will advertise/promote this program for the public. Curator’s Report: The museum received a donation of an antique stroller which converts into a highchair, probably one hundred or more years old. Old Business: Log Cabin -Sara has contacted Kurt Staab about doing work on the log cabin repairs. New Business: Sara and Mary will audit the 2024 treasurer’s books. The payroll financial report and the 2025 budget disbursement and revenue reports were reviewed. A motion by Pat Pleus was made to pass the 2025 budget with designating $3,000 in the salaries account and $10,000 in the general fund, pending the disbursement of the $13,000 grant from the county. Seconded by Marvel Lemke, motion carried. A motion was made by Pat Pleus to transfer $10,000 from the general fund and put it in a 9 - month CD at the Royal Credit Union. Seconded by Bill Breneman, motion carried. Elections: Nominations were submitted as follows, with terms expiring January 2027 Arlene Strama, Vice President Mary Schultz, Secretary Donna Doriot, Treasurer Marvel Lemke, Director Terry Schultz, Director John Johnson, Director (Vacant), Director Bruce Albrecht was nominated to fill the vacant director position. Sara made a call three times for any additional nominations. Hearing none, Sue Breneman made a motion to cast a unanimous ballot for nominations as presented, seconded by Julie Janke. Motion carried. A motion was made to adjourn by Diane Albrecht, seconded by Pat Pleus. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 11:54 a.m. Respectfully Submitted by Mary Schultz, Secretary