Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

Page 4A • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove FEBRUARY 2016 2016 Waukesha County Resource Directory 2016 WAUKESHA COUNTY RESOURCE DIRECTORY PUBLISHED BY FREEMAN NEWSPAPERS • FEBRUARY 2016 GOVERNMENT » HOSPITALS » LIBRARIES » GOLF COURSES » LOCAL THEATER & ARTS CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS » MUSEUMS & HISTORICAL PLACES » AND MORE! Get your FREE resource directory to the county! A handy guide to connect you with local government, businesses and organizations. Inside the March edition of the Brookfield & Elm Grove T H I S M O N T H 247929015 By Ryan Billingham Freeman Staff OCONOMOWOC — On Sunday, the youngest member of the Keigher family, 3- month-old Leo, was the latest in a long line of babies to don a very special piece of cloth- ing. After Sunday Mass at St. Jerome Catholic Church, Leo was baptized in a gown made in 1899 from his great-great- great-grandmother's wedding dress. The gown is a white, lace- trimmed marvel — in both its construction and its remark- able state of preservation rel- ative to its 100 years serving as the official attire for over 100 babies at their baptisms. "It is very fragile," Emily Keigher, Leo's mom, said. "But for being 116 years old, or thereabout, it is pretty remarkable." Emily and her husband, Matt, moved to Summit a year ago, where they live on Silver Lake. They joined St. Jerome Parish soon after the move. Emily's great-grand- mother Mildred (Heiser) Grif- fith owned a home for years on Silver Lake that served as a home base for the family. She was also a longtime mem- ber of St. Jerome Parish, and she and her husband rest at its cemetery today. Keeping track of the lin- eage is daunting, but here is the summary starting with baby Leo: Leo Edward Keigher, son of Matt and Emily Keigher, wore the gown Sunday. Emily, Leo's mom, wore the gown, his grandmother Alice (Haugh) Hodek wore it, his great- grandmother Marianna (Grif- fith) Haugh wore it and her mother, Mildred (Heiser) Griffith, was the first to wear it after her mother, Anna (Meunier) Heiser, made it from her wedding dress in 1899. That is five generations to wear the gown. It doesn't stop there. Emily Keigher said the family thinks more than 100 babies have worn the gown over the decades, including Leo's siblings. A family icon The gown has become, Emily Keigher said, a touch- stone for the entire family, a treasured physical connec- tion to their history and ancestors. The family knows it is spe- cial and in order to preserve it, they recently had an exact replica of the gown made. A tailor measured each seam; each detail was recreated. The family even ordered spe- cial lace from France to com- plete the new gown. Baby Leo may be the final family member to wear the original gown before it is pre- served for posterity and dis- played. "I think for all of the family, because we are so proud of it, it just makes us feel this con- nection to my great-grandpar- ents," Emily Keigher said, "that we are carrying on their values and their way of liv- ing." A St. Jerome family Four members of the extended family have their final resting place at the St. Jerome Cemetery: Leo's great-great grandparents, Dr. Joseph Griffith and Mildred Griffith and Leo's great-great- great grandparents, William and Mary (Collins) Griffith. Dr. Joseph Griffith was a prominent surgeon in the area and state. He died in 1979 at age 80 while replacing lawn irrigation pipes in cold weather, which exacerbated an already weak heart. Griffith was well-known in the Oconomowoc community. He served as president of the Oconomowoc Golf Club and was a member of several medical boards in Milwaukee County and the state. A family bond "When we use the gown it is a reminder of all of the fami- ly who have worn it," Emily Keigher said. She said it has strength- ened family bonds over the years as members are sepa- rated geographically or by time. The gown remains a way to stay connected. "We are large family that has managed to stay connect- ed over generations," said Emily Keigher. Email: rbillingham@conleynet.com DRAPED IN HISTORY Family's special baptism gown provides unbroken link to its past Submitted photos Charles and Anna (Meunier) Heiser in 1899. Anna is wear- ing the wedding dress she had made into a baptismal gown that has lasted for gen- erations. Sue Boyer/Special to the Freeman Emily Keigher holds her infant son, Leo Edward Keigher, while her aunt Catherine Ward helps put on Leo a baptismal gown that has been worn by dozens of family members and was made from the lace of the wedding dress of Leo's great-great-great- grandmother. Godparents Molly Haugh, back left, and her father, Dave Griffith Haugh, center, watch prior to the baptism held Sun- day morning at St. Jerome Catholic Church. Leo's brother Michael is peeking out from underneath. Mildred (Heiser) Griffith in the baptismal dress circa 1899. Marianna (Griffith) Haugh with her namesake Marianna Keigher. Neylon wants to provide funding for robotics students By Lauren Anderson Freeman Staff WAUKESHA — High school robotics teams would receive a funding boost to get them off the ground under a new bill from state Rep. Adam Neylon. As school and business leaders continue to seek solutions to the widely- reported skills gap in areas like manufacturing, engi- neering and information technology, the Republican lawmaker from Pewaukee said the state should be encouraging more schools to create robotics teams. "If you look at the way the workforce is moving and the skills gap that's been creat- ed and how we're lacking kids that have technical training and skills," he said. "I don't want Wisconsin to fall behind." His bill would provide up to $5,000 for students look- ing to start a robotics team and participate in competi- tions. The grant program would be available to both public and private school teams. Neylon said he was inspired after watching the Hamilton High School robotics team's competi- tions. "I was very impressed with it," Neylon said. "As I was becoming a fan of what they were doing, I saw that other states in the Midwest, like Michigan and Minneso- ta, had actually provided state funding to robotics teams and I thought this would be a really great thing for the state of Wisconsin to get involved with." Neylon said people often talk about robots taking jobs away from workers, but that will also create a need for robotic technicians. High school robotics leagues could be the first step toward that career, he said. "As the world becomes more integrated, we must train the next generation to compete in the global mar- ket," Neylon said. Robotics can also be an avenue for women to become interested in possi- ble STEM careers, where currently they are largely underrepresented. The funding won't likely cover all the expenses for a school to launch a team, as high-level teams have bud- gets can be as large as $20- 30,000. But, Neylon said, it will encourage public-pri- vate partnership with area businesses lending their support to the teams to make up the gap. Neylon is optimistic about the bill, saying it has bipar- tisan support. Email: landerson@conleynet.com Bill would offer up to $5K for creating teams and competing Keeping yard machines in good shape By Chris Bennett Special to The Freeman BROOKFIELD — Some of you are going to feel like the laughingstock of your neighborhood this coming spring when you wrestle the lawnmower from its winter slumber, pull the cord and get a lazy cough or rattle instead of a machine that's ready to eat through some grass. Our yard machines are sometimes not as motivat- ed for spring as we are. Sometimes lawn mowers, lawn tractors, string trim- mers and chainsaws just don't want to work their magic when the sun starts to shine. In most cases, the fix is simple. But before describ- ing any spring fix it makes sense to step back to last fall. "I would say the most important thing for easy starting in the spring is to store it properly," Bill Rosenberg said. Rosenberg is part of Bill's Power Cen- ter in Brookfield, and is on the Web at www.billspow- ercenter.com. "Once it's not stored properly there's a really good chance you're beyond a simple repair." Keep this in mind when you decide to send your snowblower on hiatus for the summer. You must properly store tools that feature small, inter nal combustion engines. Use fuel stabilizer — it prevents the moisture in the fuel from separating out and causing trouble. Run the machine with fuel stabilizer if you intend to store the unit with fuel. Add fuel stabilizer and run the unit until dry if you intend to store the unit without fuel. "The new ethanol-based fuels only have a shelf life of about 30 days before they start to break down," Darrell Schultz said. Schultz is the Service Man- ager at Reinders, which has locations in Elm Grove and Waukesha. "The petroleum and moisture in the fuel start to separate — it's kind of like oil and water." Now that you know how to store a snowblower and lawn mower, let's describe what to do with the lawn mower that won't start. Drain any old fuel. You might run it through your personal vehicle, which is not as finicky as a lawn mower, but whatever you do be sure to properly dis- pose of the old gas. Fill the unit with fresh gas and prime the new fuel into the system. You might also change the spark plug. It is a sim- ple procedure on a lawn mower, and a spark plug can be purchased inexpen- sively at places like Bill's Power Center, Reinders or your local hardware store. Be sure to gap the plug to the manufacturer's specifi- cations, which are listed in your owner's manual. Changing the air filter is another good idea. An air filter for a lawn implement can be purchased wherever you bought your new spark plug. "Make sure everything is free," Rosenberg said. "Lubricate the cables and move them back and forth. Follow the cable and make sure it does what it should." The same advice holds true for smaller imple- ments and for two-cycle engines, such as those found in string trimmers and chain saws — start by draining any old fuel, adding new fuel and giving the machine a tune-up. Make sure the battery is charged and perhaps change the fuel filter if dealing with a lawn tractor. If your unit will still not start, you might need the help of a professional like those at Bill's Power Cen- ter or Reinders. Your likely issue is a fuel delivery issue, and it is likely being caused by a clogged or non- functioning carburetor. "Gas from eight to 10 years ago used to be a lot more forgiving," Schultz said. "A lot of the new models, the oxidized fuel becomes very corrosive. "The motors are designed to burn very lean. Anything in that carbure- tor will choke the air-fuel ratio. The motor will run poorly or surge, or not even start at all."

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