W A S H B U R N C O U N T Y
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INSIDE
June 5, 2013
Relay for Life
Wednesday, June 5, 2013 Vol. 124, No. 42 • Shell Lake, Wis.
We e ke nd w atch
• 27th-annual car show • Tri-County Dairy Breakfast • Free community meal at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church See Events page 6
75¢
Can you hear me now?
Back page
SPORTS Area prep sports coverage
See pages 12 - 14
The singers in the Shell Lake Primary School 4K graduation program held Thursday, May 30, wanted to make sure their parents could hear them. Shown back row (L to R): Ace Grady, Macy Melton, Zoie Richards and Samuel Shelton. Middle: Jared Swan, Breanna Gleason, Jonathan Lawrence and Helen Torbenson. Front: Jace Powers, Olivia Berquam, Chloe Swan and Olivia Ricci. More photos on page 2. — Photo by Larry Samson
It’s official: Washburn County housing market is back Page 3 Field trip to Madeline Island Page 23
BREAKERS
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SHELL LAKE — If you have a daughter/granddaughter/niece that is in the Shell Lake School District, then the Miss Shell Lake Committee is looking for her. See story, page 16. ••• CORRECTION — In our profile story on the Relay for Life chairperson, Jeri Bitney, published last week, please take note that only two of her children had cancer. Her daughter Kate never had cancer. We apologize for the error. Rep. Smith announces new constituent: aAt 12:48 a.m. on Thursday, May 23, Rep. Stephen Smith and his wife, Christine, welcomed a new constituent to the 75th District, as well as a new grandchild. Weighing in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces, Nolan Wayne Tripp was born to parents Jamie and Cortney Tripp, Shell Lake. “We are extremely proud to report that he is happy and healthy. As I watch my daughter’s family grow and hold my grandson in my arms, I am reminded as to why I am motivated to represent the public. I am determined to uphold the values that make our community a safe and nurturing environment to raise a family and a community that I am proud for my grandson to grow up in,” commented Smith. — Photo submitted
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Gina Lewis and her extraordinary life journey joyed playing golf, dancing and pledged to the by Danielle Moe sorority Gama Phi Beta. Register staff writer Gina met Charles “Chuck” Lewis through his SHELL LAKE — A community character widely known through her extensive volunteer sister, Barb, who was also in the sorority. “I had work with community organizations like the just pledged and I met Chuck at the sorority dance,” recalled Gina. The American Red Cross, hospital pair enjoyed going out and auxiliary, Women’s Federation dancing during those days and her church began life in New to the popular tunes of the Ulm, Minn., in 1918. Virginia day. It was the ‘40s and big Louise Gieseke Lewis’ characband was vogue and she reter for finding, appreciating and members dancing to acts nurturing life wherever she was like Jimmy Dorsey and Artie confirms her as a treasure for her Shaw. “We would go down family and her community. to the St. Paul Hotel once in As an only child, Gina was a while and dance, I just love in junior high when her father music of any kind,” she said passed away, compelling her with a smile. mother and her to move to SpenIn 1941, she graduated from cer, Iowa. Growing up she enthe University of Minnesota joyed swimming. “In Spencer with a degree in English but we had a big swimming area at ended up writing advertisethe lakes, and I liked to swim, but ments at Young-Quinlan. “I I was working a lot of the time,” took a streetcar down to the she said. During the summers she worked in the Ruby and Dee Gina Lewis in her Shell Lake home store,” Lewis said, recallDevergson ladies ready-to-wear today, originally built by her parents in ing. In those days she lived and worked in the departstore in town. “It was fun, they the 1970s. — Photo by Danielle Moe ment store for about a year had beautiful stuff, I mean really after her college graduation, nice stuff,” she stated enthusiastically. “We used to get new styles in the store and the historic building still exists today at 9th from the market in Chicago to be ready for the and Nicollet in downtown Minneapolis. Four years after moving to Spencer, Gina’s next season,” explained Lewis. “I can remember a beaded skirt I wanted so badly,” she said, mother married George Guyan. “I had promised my mother and dad, who had just bought a lalaughing. After graduating high school in 1936, she at- dies ready-to-wear store up in Bemidji, Minn., tended MacMurray College in Janesville, Ill., for that I would work with them,” she said. But life two years, then transferred to the University of had different plans for Gina and in 1941, due to Minnesota in the Twin Cities for her junior and the possibility of Chuck being drafted for World senior years. “I always wanted to go to the UniSee Lewis, page 15 versity of Minnesota when I was growing up,” she explained. While attending college, Lewis en-