This week’s column is one of those “Just Glancin’ Around O-W” stories that I sometimes write. I traveled to Owen, Wisconsin on April 4–6 from my home in southeast Wisconsin. I hadn’t been to Owen since last summer (2024). Thanks to social media, I’m able to keep in touch remotely with those who live locally in O-W in my role as President of the O-W Area Historical Society. My 12-year-old granddaughter Juliana D. joined me for the day. She is an intern with the O-W Historical Society as our social media outreach coordinator. Reaching out to the younger audience: The Zoomers and Gen Z. That is our future. Us over 70’s (Baby Boomers and older) are dying off fast. We need to prepare our successors.
April 2025 was my 10th appearance at the annual O-W Business Expo. Always a highlight of my year to do in person meet and greet people, in and from the greater Owen–Withee area.
The O-W Area Historical Society display booth at the 2025 Business Expo was a popular attraction for 2025 Expo goers. The theme was “Salute to Owen.” Owen is celebrating 100 years as a city in 2025. Admission to the event was free. It was sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce and was hosted by the Friends of the Old School group, with a stated goal of showcasing local businesses and opportunities.
I was a keynote speaker for two headliner events at the 2025 Expo: An awards ceremony to present Art Petersen the 2025 Golden Blackhawk recognition for a lifetime achievement of community service, patriotism and community leadership. Art will soon turn 100 years old in 2025 and is in remarkably good health. His family and many friends joined in the ceremony.
My second keynote duty of the day was to talk to a group about the History of Owen. Owen as a “city” was born in 1925. The year 2025 is the Owen Centennial (100 years). Local demographics, education, and technology have changed dramatically in the past 100 years. Mennonites have become a significant demographic of the Owen-Withee area, with about 50% of the local population now Mennonite. They are great and proud students of local history.
Bill Wirtala, Steve Heggemeier, Dave Jankoski, Steve Roberts, Louise Olszewski, Laurie Shilts, Sharon Laube Scheinost, Nancy Amacher, Dennis Looker, Pete Kaz, Clark County Sheriff Kirn, and many others too numerous to mention participated in the event. Master storytellers, all of them, and I enjoyed talking with each and every one of them. Great community leaders and examples of people who made Owen-Withee what it is today.
The date of the annual Owen Jr. Fair, a longtime homecoming event of Owen-Withee area alumni, has been changed this year, from mid July 2025 to September 2025. For those of you making long term travel plans, the 2025 Owen Jr. Fair will be held the weekend after Labor Day: September 5-7. My personal travel plans are uncertain at this time, but I will tentatively be in Owen the weekend of September 5, 2025.
Thank you again to all my readers who support me. Feel free to reach out to me via email: ahodnett@aol.com or phone/text: 414-840-0846.