WREA Foundation Honors New Legacy Fund Contributors

Alice Hurd	John and Mary Heisler	Marg Maslowske

The WREA Foundation welcomes Alice Hurd of Milton, John and Mary Heisler of Fond du Lac and Marg Maslowske of Green Bay to the Legacy Circle. These individuals established funds in their name at the year’s end. Read their stories below.

John and Mary Heisler
John and Mary Heisler have given a tremendous amount professionally and personally! According to Mary, “Over the years, I’ve learned that unless you give of yourself, you really get little in return. I feel I’ve been blessed through my jobs and the organizations I’ve been part of.”
We can certainly attest to Mary’s commitment and contributions at WREA! She has served in her local unit, the Fond du Lac County Area REA, and at the state level in many capacities. Currently she is the Foundation Liaison to the WREA Board of Directors.
A native of Spring Valley in Pierce County, Mary retired from the University of Wisconsin-Extension after 33 years of service in Fond du Lac and Portage Counties and in Bay County, Michigan. John, from Fond du Lac County, retired from the Gehl Company in West Bend and says he continued his education by driving school bus for 25 years.
During Mary’s 33-year career, she helped families cope with everything from mildew to mortgages. She is particularly proud of the Master Financial Counselor program she developed in 1986. The program, which taught volunteers how to counsel families having difficulty living within their means, has been expanded to many Wisconsin ­ counties.
John and Mary are regular ­ volunteers in many organizations and activities. They also enjoy ­ traveling in the United States and abroad. We congratulate them both on establishing their WREA Foundation Legacy Fund through an IRA distribution.

Alice Hurd
Alice (Thompson) Hurd’s teaching career spanned forty-four years, and her love of teaching spilled over to her church activities where she taught Sunday School for twenty-five years. Even in retirement, Alice would dress in period clothing and be the “teacher” at the Frances Willard School exhibit at the Rock County Fair.
Her career began after she graduated from Green County Normal School in Monroe, WI in 1936. Like many new teachers of the time, she taught all eight grades in one-room schools at the Oak Dale School West of Milton and the Zion School East of Janesville.
Alice and her husband Wayne wel¬ comed three daughters into the world, Barbara, JoAnne and Carole, and after Alice gave them a “good start in life,” she became a popular and regular substitute grade school teacher in the Janesville School District for many years.
Last year, Alice moved from her home of 55 years in Janesville to Milton where she now resides. Her daughter and son-in-law, JoAnne and Jim Janowiak surprised her this past Christmas by establishing her WREA Foundation Legacy Fund, a very special way to honor a very special teacher. Congratulations, Alice.

Marg Maslowske
Marg Maslowske has been a long time supporter of WREA, and may very well have the record for participating in the most WREA units! She has been involved in Racine, Stevens Point, Green Bay and Arizona! In addition, she has served as secretary for both WREA and the WREA Foundation and has been instrumental in the growth of both organizations.
Marg began her teaching career in a one-room school in Portage County and retired from the Racine Unified Schools in 1984 after forty-three years in the classroom.
In retirement she has enjoyed traveling, volunteering, church and family activities, and spending part of the Winter in Florida.
Marg established her fund because of the support and pension protection WREA provides for retired educators and because WREA promotes public education. Marg remembers the “early days” when WREA did not have an office and staff and when one of the state presidents did a monthly newsletter by hand! Her friend, the late Peg McCabe, was also a loyal WREA member and a great influence. Peg is also a member of the Legacy Circle.