Emerald Reflections Online

Bob Higgins Remembered

For many years, in addition to editing Emerald Reflections, Bob Higgins wrote the cover story for the April issue. He would mix fact and fiction, and often incorporate historical and fictional characters, as well as members of the Milwaukee Irish community, into his narratives. Bob died December 26, 1999. At his funeral a letter written by his niece, Suzy Wing, was read. It describes a Bob Higgins many of us in the Shamrock Club never knew existed. So, in place of Bob's April shaggy dog story, we are here presenting a family's memory of an interesting man.

Uncle Bob was very important in our family; we all lived in the State of Washington and all of our relatives lived in Wisconsin. Our Uncle Bob used to come to visit us and with him he brought excitement, adventure, and his camera. Growing up in a family of five children, we didn't often go on trips, but when Uncle Bob came with his list of places he'd read about that he wanted to see, and his camera over his shoulder, we'd all pile into the car, and take off.

We visited Fort Nisqually in Tacoma, Mt. Rainier, Victoria, British Columbia, the Pacific Ocean, the Olympic Rain Forest, Washington State's own Stone Henge, the Columbia River, and Grand Coulee Dam. We went up in the Space Needle, rode on a logging steam locomotive, sailed on ferry boats and flew over Mt. St. Helen's after she had erupted. We remember and reminisce about all of these places because of all the photographs Uncle Bob took along the way.

Uncle Bob took pictures of my brothers and me. Teddy with his new wagon he'd bought with money from beer bottles he had collected, Timmy on top of an old stone chimney, Danny at Totem Pole Park, Paul as a toddler conversing with a jackalope, and Teddy and Suzy sipping sodas at the counter of Madole's Drug in Oconomowoc.

Uncle Bob loved words and bits of information. He could converse well on any subject. One time he took a picture of a sign on our beach which read, "Pick no Oysters." He found it most humorous, as if they were flowers to be plucked. This photo was seen around the world.

When we went to Wisconsin, our Uncle Bob would take us to meet his friends, many of you, who were his local family. We have pictures of us at Old World Wisconsin, on an ice-covered Lake LaBelle, and a photo of us with all our cousins and aunts and uncles in Milwaukee, Uncle Bob's great-niece Molly kissing a Wisconsin Blarney Stone, and of course, all of us at Madole's Drug and walking down the streets of Oconomowoc. Why, he even gave us a record with the song, "I Went for a Walk in Oconomowoc," on it!

We have favorite "Uncle Bob Stories." One of the best my mother told. She, Uncle Bob, and my baby brother, Paul, were returning to Washington by car, from Wisconsin. They stopped in Yellowstone where Uncle Bob became so intent on shooting photographs of the bears, that he didn't realize that the window next to the baby was rolled down. In spite of screams from my mother, he didn't react, keeping his camera focused on the bears. It was only in the nick of time that Uncle Bob came to the party, rolled up the window, and saved me from growing up with only three brothers, instead of four! Of course, the pictures of the bears were marvelous.

Another time, our Uncle Bob accompanied the Oconomowoc Marching Band to the Rose Parade. We sat glued to our television set waiting to catch a glimpse of our famous uncle. We were not disappointed. Here he came, scuttling along, across our screen, snapping pictures of the band as they blared their way down the parade route. Our very own Uncle Bob!

We received mail from Uncle Bob, mostly cards with short notes, but also newsletters from the Shamrock Club, articles from the "Oconomowoc Enterprise," a copy of "Detective Magazine," with a short story by Robt. J. Higgins, or a book on the history of Oconomowoc Township. People around the world, Canada, Germany, Ireland, sent us copies of photographs which had appeared in their local newspapers.

Because of our Uncle Bob we all have a keen interest in Ireland and all that is Irish. My mother and father were able to go to Ireland with Uncle Bob; they had a grand time. He and I talked at great lengths comparing our visits to the Emerald Isle. We attended circuses and saw the Circus Train. A holiday favorite at our house was a big block of Beer Kaese cheese sent by Uncle Bob. And, of course, there were the "Pat and Mike" stories.

Just last summer I was able to spend a little time with Uncle Bob. We ate dinner at a restaurant owned by some of his friends and he took us to the marvelous new Oconomowoc Museum of which he was very proud. I showed Uncle Bob my new Pentax Automatic 200 zoom camera, quite a cry from my first camera, a Brownie box, given to me by, who else, Uncle Bob.

We miss you already, Uncle Bob, but we will never forget you, nor will future generations of our family, for you will live on through your photographs and your writings. Thank you for the memories, for the wonderful experiences, and for your pictures. Now, here's a Pat and Mike story for you.

Pat was looking at a copy of the Milwaukee Journal when he looked up and said, "Mike, this picture here on the front page is the most beautiful place I've ever seen."

"Let me see that, Pat," said Mike. "Wow, that is glorious, but it says it's a picture of Heaven, how can that be?"

"Well, Mike," replied Pat, "it says right here that the photo was taken by that Higgins fellow, you know, the photographer from right here in Oconomowoc."

"Ah come on Pat," said Mike, "you're pulling my leg, how could he have taken it?"

"Gosh Mike, can't you remember anything?" shot back Pat, "we read last week that Higgins was going to Heaven. Looks like he made it all right, and he must have had his camera with him too, 'cause the article with the picture's captioned, "A Bit of Heaven," by Robert J. Higgins."

An incredulous Mike responded, "Now don't that just beat all! But, I guess if anybody could do it, get a picture of Heaven, that is, it would be Bob!"

My brothers and I are sorry we could not be here with you today, but we thank all of you for coming to say your last goodbyes to Uncle Bob. We thank the members of St. Jerome's Parish for all their efforts on behalf of our uncle. Maybe we'll get to Oconomowoc one day soon to thank you in person, and to say good bye to Uncle Bob. In the meantime, share a Pat and Mike story with your friends and relatives during your millennium celebration and think about Bob Higgins and his great sense of humor.

Thank you again for paying tribute to a great man.

South Central Honors
Irishman of the Year and
Irish Rose 2000

EUGENE R." GENE" MURRAY
CHOSEN "IRISHMAN OF THE YEAR"

A man who started life with only his father's genes and his mother's determination and went on to become a success and a leader is the 2000 Irishman of the Year of the South Central Shamrock Club. Eugene R. "Gene" Murray's father, Eugene, died a month before Gene was born. His mother, Kathryn, never remarried, and, if she were alive today, could look with pride upon her accomplishments in raising Gene, his sister and their two half-brothers and half-sister while operating the family farm. Gene quit high school to help run that farm. However because of his strong belief in the importance of education, he studied for and received his GED in 1978 at the age of 50.

"Gene" was born June 10, 1928, in the Town of Dellona, Sauk County, to Kathryn Mulligan Murray. The family lived on Lyndon Rd. in the Township of Dellona until 1938 when they moved to Town Hall Rd., also in Dellona. Gene purchased the family farm in 1948 and operated a dairy farm for many years. He and his wife Marguerite still reside on the farm. Gene also worked for Scott Construction for 14 years.

Gene has served on the Dellona Town Board for 30 years. He has been an agent for the Reedsburg-Westfield Insurance Company for 27 years and has served as its president for the past 18 years.

As a hobby, Gene started training teams of oxen in 1951 and trained a total of four teams. He and his oxen appeared in many parades throughout the Midwest from 1951 through 1975.

Gene has been a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Reedsburg, for 62 years; a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters, Court 410, Lyndon Station, for 56 years; and a member of the Reedsburg Msgr. Condon Council #3805, Knights of Columbus for 46 years. He is an Honorary Life Member of the Knights of Columbus. Gene also finds time to be a frequent visitor at two of the area nursing homes.

Gene's paternal great grand-parents were Christopher and Mary Havey Murray of Clonard, County Meath, Ireland. His paternal grandfather, Edward Murray, migrated to the Town of Kildare, Juneau County in 1865 at the age of 16. Edward married Bridget Cauley. They had six children: Edward, Eugene (Gene's father), Christopher, Mae, Sister Vincentina, and Kathryn.

Patrick and Eliza Mulligan, some of Gene's great grandparents on his mother's side of the family, left County Mayo, Ireland in 1837 to migrate to Canada. Their children were Thomas, John, (Gene's grandfather) James and Eliza. The Mulligans arrived in the Town of Dellona in 1846 - the first year that Dellona was settled. Grandfather John Mulligan married Ellen Hurley. Seven children were born to this union including Mayme Mulligan who became the wife of Gene's father, Eugene Murray in 1910. Eugene and Mayme had two sons and a daughter. When Mayme died of influenza in 1918, Eugene married his sister-in-law, Kathryn Mulligan in 1920. They had two children: Gertrude and Eugene - our Irishman of the Year.

Gene married Marguerite Heerey on June 9, 1951 at St. Patrick's Church in Mauston. They are the parents of five children: Joanne K. Murray, Madison; Eugene Patrick Murray, Fifield; Janice M. (John) Delmore, Lake Delton; Judy M. Davis, Brookfield; and Dennis M. Murray, Reedsburg. Gene and Marguerite are also blessed with five grandchildren.

MARY KATHLEEN "KATHY" CROWLEY HORKAN
NAMED "IRISH ROSE" OF THE YEAR

The South Central Shamrock Club is proud to recognize a woman who is renowned for her compassion and consideration of others and who is also 100 percent Irish, Mary Kathleen "Kathy" Crowley Horkan, as its 2000 Irish Rose of the Year. Kathy attended Madonna Catholic High School in Mauston and went on to receive her degree from St. Mary's Hospital RN program in Madison, Wisconsin. She then worked in Denver for four years and in Dallas for one year before returning to Wisconsin in 1970. Since then Kathy has been and still is employed as a registered nurse with the Sauk County Health Care Center.

Being a constantly involved member of her community, Kathy has participated in a wide variety of activities which include being a general leader, photography and plant leader with the Dellona 4-H Club in the 1970s and 1980s, a member of the Dellona Township Homemakers, a member of the Dellona Town Hall Building Committee; serving as the financial secretary of the Catholic Daughter's of America, being in charge of the White Elephant sale at Sacred Heart Church for the last 11 years, serving on the American Cancer Society Walk-a-Thon and assisting with the Town of Dellona elections.

Kathy's school and church activities included being a cheerleading coach and making the uniforms for the Sacred Heart School (Reedsburg) cheerleaders; being Eucharistic Minister at Sacred Heart School Library.

Kathy has always been available to those in need. She has completely dedicated the last one and a half years of her life to caring for her two ailing brothers-in-law. She also spent several years caring for her father. She volunteered to help a neighbor with renal dialysis for several years. In 1999 her selfless efforts and those of her husband and children were recognized when the family was chosen as the recipient of the Family of the Year Award from Home Health United. The recipient of this award is selected from among 19 Wisconsin counties.

Kathy's Irish heritage on the Crowley side has been traced back many generations. The story of her American ancestors begins with Dauniel (the spelling is correct) Crowley's immigration to America with his son John and six other children following the death of Dauniel's wife Hannah and a son in the 1845 potato famine.

When John became old enough, he went to work on the railroad and then, in 1848, came to what they called Sligoe (Now the town of Dellona, Sauk Co.) where John farmed.

John married Mary Donovan in 1858 and, in 1860, their first son, Daniel (NMI), was born. In 1904, Daniel (NMI) married Jane Crowley (same surname but no relation). Daniel (NMI) and Jane had two sons, Daniel J. (who was to become Kathy's father and John F.

In the meantime, following the passage of the Homestead Act in 1861, John traded his farm to a cousin and homesteaded land in the Township of Lyndon, Juneau County.

On June 10, 1940 Daniel J. Crowley - Kathy's father - married the local school teacher, Catherine Kelley. Daniel J. continued farming the family Homestead (which was recognized by the State of Wisconsin as a centennial farm in 1961). Daniel J. and Catherine also had seven children.

On her mother's side, her grandfather, Terrence Patrick Kelley, married Mary Jane Sweeney. Her maternal grandparents are John G. and Johanna Kelley and John and Catherine (Condon) Sweeney. Space restrictions preclude listing all of her forebears, but the family tree is blessed with Irish names such as Scully, Gleason, Coughlin, Hoile, Murphy, Sullivan, Riley such that no one can doubt that Kathy is, in fact, 100% Irish. Does she come from a large family? A few years ago someone determined that Kathy had 72 first cousins.

Robert "Bob" J. Horkan's wife died in 1968 leaving him with three young children who are Deb (Marty) Judge, Hudson, WI; Kim (Tim) Douglas, Reedsburg; and Kris (Pete) Lichte, Reedsburg. In 1973 Kathy married Bob. Kathy raised her three step-children as her own and she and Bob also had two children of their own: Dennis, Reedsburg; and Renee (Tim) Mikonowicz, Platteville. Kathy is very dedicated to her family, being a strong supportive person in every way. One of her favorite activities is spending time with her six grandchildren.

Kathy and Gene were honored at the South Central Shamrock Club annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration on March 11 at the Wintergreen Resort in Lake Delton. The celebration included a social hour, banquet and entertainment provided by the Jerry Stitch Choral Ensemble.

New Dublin News

UPCOMING DATES

• April 3 - Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Sommer's

• April 3 - General Membership Meeting, 7:00 p.m., Sommer's

• May 1 - Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Sommer's

• May 1 - General Membership Meeting, 7:00 p.m., Sommer's

Hats Off To LaCrosse

for hosting the State Meeting Feb 26th. Jill Hart and Tom Barrington represented New Dublin at the meeting. They reported that the meeting was very informative and a good time was had by all. We are looking forward to the next State Meeting at Madison in September.

Scholarships

The Shamrock Club of New Dublin, through NEWLASS, will award two $1000 scholarships to area students again this year. The Club will also continue to help the Mid-Wisconsin Fishing Club sponsor a day of fishing for area handicapped kids.

For more information on what's happening in New Dublin please visit our web site: http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/ NonProfitBlvd/new dublin/index.html

Rock County

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• April 18 - 6:30 p.m. Potluck supper. 7:30 p.m. General Membership Meeting. Janesville Senior Center, 69 S. Water Street

• May 16 - 7:30 p.m. General Membership Meeting

Hopefully everyone can get to the April meeting and bring your favorite dish to pass to share with all of the other club members.

There will be nomination of officers at the April meeting and election of officers at the May meeting. Please come and help us select the officers for the upcoming year.

Some of the Beloit Catholic High School cast of Hello Dolly, will be at our April meeting to give us a preview of some songs they will be singing in this musical production on May 5-6-7. This will be a great program, don't miss it.

Shamrock Club
Greater LaCrosse Area

We thoroughly enjoyed hosting the State Board Meeting on February 26. There was much good discussion and exchange of ideas. One of the Chapters present suggested a greater exchange of Club activities through the Emerald Reflections to help other chapters perhaps structure theirs in the future. We in LaCrosse no longer have a parade on Saint Patrick's day due in large part to a lack of sponsorship. We do an activities here entirely with Club members and friends and even though it is already accomplished for this year, we would like to share our March 17 agenda with you. It went as follows:

March 17th, Friday: Please join "Dr. Rock" Rick Privisky, our 2000 Irishman Dennis O'Brien and Irish Rose Pam Love, and the Shamrock Club Players for a fun filled tour of area schools and homes for the elderly on St. Patrick's Day.

In addition to spreading Irish cheer to school children and senior citizens, we'll bestow an Irish blessing on LaCrosse Mayor John O'Medinger and Onalaska Mayor Clarence McStellner. The group will also make an appearance on the Ed and Sally Sullivan Blarney Party Radio Show.

The bus will depart from Tenth and Jackson Streets at 8:45 a.m. Park on the side streets where there is no time limit.

If you can't be with the group for the entire day, feel free to join up at any of the stops along the way, or at least for lunch. Questions? Call Jim Finn 782-5936.

• 8:30 a.m.: Meet at 10th and Jackson. Bus departs 8:45 a.m.

• 9:00: Holy Trinity School (Church Basement) 1417 S. 13th St.

• 9:35: St. Thomas Moore School, 2006 Weston St.

• 10:10: Cathedral School, 1319 Ferry St.

• 10:50: Mayor Clarence McStellner, Onalaska, City Hall

• 11:10: St. Patrick's School, 127 11th Ave. N., Onalaska

• Noon: Lunch at the Haberdashery in the Radisson Hotel. Note: The bus will stop at the Radisson to drop those off who want an early lunch and will continue to Quillans Food Fest on South Mormon Coulee Rd. to join Ed and Sally Sullivan's Blarney Party Show. The bus will then return to the Radisson by 1 p.m. for those who want a later lunch.

• 1:45 p.m.: Mayor John O'Medinger's Office, LaCrosse City Hall

• 2:15: Bethany-on-Cass Retirement Community, 1315 Cass St.

• 2:45: Bethany St. Joseph Care Center, 2501 Shelby Rd.

• 3:15: Hillview Care Center, 3501 Park Lane Dr.

Our Club has been invited to a party at River Jack's Showcase and Revue Lounge in the Midway Hotel from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. We will finish this grand occasion at Sullivan's in Trempealeau (Make your own reservations). Thank God the next day is Saturday!

Fox Cities

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• April 12 (Wed.) - Business Meeting (7 p.m. Gaelic / 7:30 p.m. meeting)

• April 26 (Wed.) - Board Meeting (7 p.m. Board Meeting / 7:30 p.m. Gaelic).

We will try to have additional entertainment / program at the Business Meetings (in addition to a short Gaelic lesson / discussion.).

After our Feb. 23rd Board Meeting, John McGuinness helped us speak some Gaelic. He said we could take as long as we needed to learn. I asked him how many years he is planning on living here. Come and join us at our Membership and Board Meetings - it's fun.

We had a good turnout at our March 6 Corned Beer and Cabbage dinner. We elected John McGuinness as Irishman of the Year and Elaine Hoes as Irish Rose 2000. Giles Clark entertained with his accordion.

Now that all the March festivities and weather are over, spring isn't far away.

The February 26 State Shamrock Club Advisory meeting in LaCrosse was quite successful in opening communications and sharing thoughts between chapters. The next State Meeting will be in Madison on September 23.

With more use of the Emerald Reflections by ALL Chapters, everyone can gain by supporting activities in other than just their local chapter. We can have a much stronger organization and more fun by co-ordinating some things with other chapters, i.e. possibly jointly having major Irish entertainers when they are on tour in the state.

Now that the weather appears to being turning milder, we need more members attending our meetings to share their ideas, etc., in order to have everyone feel part of the Chapter (not just spectators). Invite your friends to join our chapter. The more the merrier. We welcome new member Micki McCoy.

Dane County Shamrock Club

UPCOMING EVENTS

• April 11 - Board Meeting, 6:15 p.m. Jingle's followed by Membership Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Featuring John Gleason, Eamon O'Neill, and Geraint Wilkes Story Tellers and Singers

• May 9 - Board Meeting, 6:15 p.m., Jingle's, followed by Membership Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Featuring Election of Officers, Raffle Drawing and Patricia Gehy will speak on Irish Genealogy.

• June 3 - Bus trip to Irish points of interest in Milwaukee with John Gleason as guide. Contact Mary Hearn for details at (608) 274-4369

• July 11 - Annual Picnic, Knight's of Columbus Building, Verona Rd. Potluck: a list will be passed at the May meeting

As many of you are aware, Jim Courtney passed away recently. Jim and his wife Margaret were long time members of the Dane County Shamrock Club and dear friends to many. We extend our deepest sympathies to Margaret and her family during this trying time.

The Dane County Shamrock Club web site is up and running! Please stop by at: http://www.shamrockclub.org and visit the site. Sign the guest book! If you have any information that you would like to see on the web site (or the Emerald Reflections), please contact Sheila O'Brien at (608) 221-2431 and leave a message. We would love to hear news of our club members and their families! Please let me know what you would like to see posted there. Currently, the board meeting minutes are posted as well as current information about upcoming dates. Several pages are still under construction. A huge thank you goes to Sean O'Brien for designing and setting up our web site!

You should have received some raffle tickets from our club in the mail. Please, try and sell at least two of your tickets. If you are unable to sell these tickets, please mail them back to Eamon O'Brien (2667 Coffeytown Rd., Cottage Grove, WI 53527), or return them at a Membership Meeting. The raffle is the only fund raiser for our club. It is important that we sell as many tickets as possible! What would you do with the $1000 prize? Or would you choose the two tickets to Ireland ($1000 value).

The election of officers for the Dane County Shamrock Club Board is fast approaching. If you are interested in being a Board Member, or know of someone who is, please contact Barb Gallenberg.

Milwaukee President's Message

Congratulations to our incoming honorees, Jack Noonan, Irishman of the Year; Mary McAndrews, Irish Rose; and Muriel Crowley, Parade Marshal. Thanks to Tom Blaha, Sue Dundon and Mike Boyle, our outgoing honorees. You all did a very grand job representing the Shamrock Club over this past year.

Tim O'Brien and Mick McDermot did a wonderful job on the parade. Thanks for a job well done. Joe Hughes and all of his volunteers deserve a big hand and loud cheers for a big job well done at the Post Parade Party. The Mass was a beautiful, very well attended event. As usual the Color Guard Pipes and Drums and Choir were all in fine form and the comments the people gave as they left the event suggest it was better than ever.

The events at the museum went very well. Muriel Crowley, with her expert touch did another grand job. Dick and Rosemary Quinlan are doing another fantastic job with the raffle tickets. Our thanks to all these dedicated people who work so hard for the success of the Shamrock Club events.

Now that the holidays are over, we can get back to a somewhat normal routine of life and start planning on next year and the events that are still to come this year.

I will be meeting with Richard Stover and his co-chair to start working on the Golf Outing later this month but mark your calendar for Sunday, August 27, 2000. Much more info to come.

Joe Hughes will start picnic plans soon and of course before you know we'll be doing the Easter Mass and Irish Fest.

Finance Committee will be meeting at a date to be determined and we need two club members to work on this committee with Sharon Murphy, Dale Brenon, Bob Hamill and me. Please let me know that you are available.

We also are in the nominating process. Let us know the office you would like to run for. These people have been nominated at the March meeting.

President: Cate Harris
Vice President: Sue Dundon
Treasurer: Sharon Murphy
Secretary: Jean Cardwell
Membership Chair: Tom Smith
Parliamentarian: Tom Blaha
Sgt. At Arms: Beth Brzycki
Trustee: Michael Payne

The season for Bradley Center is almost over. We have four events to go. Through Nov., Dec., Jan. we earned $2415.14 for the Shamrock Club. We are always about six weeks behind getting paid. Looks like we will not make the goal I had set at $10,000 but we are doing okay. Katy Voss has been great with scheduling and coming up with new volunteers.

Our condolences to the families of Kay Siehr, Kit Nash and to Jean Bills on the loss of her sister.

State Board Report

Saturday February 26, LaCrosse hosted the Shamrock Club State Advisory Board Meeting, the first in about five years. Marian Schnell did a fantastic job with arranging the meeting at the picturesque golf club.

The meeting lasted about three hours and we discussed the cost of Emerald Reflections. Many suggestions were made to change the way the mailings could be updated. These suggestions will be taken to each chapter and they will make some decisions.

We also discussed our various fund raising projects. There are some unique ways and means to do this.

After these discussions, it was unanimously decided to have another meeting in September. Exact date and place to be announced at a later time.

We then recessed until 5 p.m. when Marion had arranged for an entertainer. He was very good and we all enjoyed him. Later we had dinner. What a nice day!

After the business of the day we just sat around and got acquainted with the people some of us had been working with. It was great meeting them in a social setting.

Really looking forward to the September meeting.

Welcome New Members

DANE CO. - Mr. and Mrs. Robert Byrne; Marcella Finegan; Robert and Arlene Finley; Mr. and Mrs. Francis Gorst; Dr. and Mrs. J.C. LaBella; Eugene J. Mears; John and Nancy Schunk.

LAFAYETTE CO. - Robert and Julie McCoy; Bernard and Marion Meylor.

MILWAUKEE - John and Judith Finnegan; Sheryl Gahagan; Thomas and Rita O'Neill; Wolfgang and Maureen Schulz; Patricia Slatinshek; Charles, Cathleen, Bridget, Connor Ward.

Nominations and Election - Milw.

Nominations for Shamrock Club offices will again take place at the April membership meeting. You must be present if nominated. Only people current in their dues will be eligble to run or hold office. Elections take place at the May meeting.

Milwaukee Mourns

As we approach our 40th anniversary, the Shamrock Club is very sad to report the deaths of two of our earliest members, Kit Nash and Kay Siehr.

Kit Nash was a very integral part of Milwaukee's Irish revival. From his demonstrations of Irish dance, to his founding of the Shamrock Color Guard, to his and Josie's opening of Nash's Irish Castle, and providing a home for Milwaukee's various Irish groups, Kit was always a central part of Irish life. His love of music helped to ensure that there would be a home for it in Milwaukee.

Kay Siehr was equally important to this revival of Irish life here. Kay was one of the founders of the Shamrock Club, and it might be argued that if not for Kay's kitchen table, and the discussions that ensued, we might not be here today. The Club got its start in her home.

Both will be missed for their contributions, and for their lasting legacy to Irish life.

Schooner Fare Concert

Maine's Schooner Fare will bring its energetic style of Yankee folk music to Milwaukee on Saturday, April 15. The 8 p.m. show will be held at the Pitman Theater at Alverno College, 3401 S. 39th St. Reserved seat tickets are $16 and $14, tickets for ages 18 and younger are $8.

Proceeds from the concert ad book and a raffle will go to LaCausa Crisis Nursery which offers parents a safe place to leave their children if they feel they may harm them or are unable to care for them due to domestic violence, homelessness or a medical emergency.

Schooner Fare's Steve and Chuck Romanoff and Tom Rowe are one of folk music's most popular and enduring acts. They will celebrate 25 years together later this year. The April 15 show will be the trio's only Wisconsin appearance in 2000.

For tickets and information, call Kathy Schultz at (414) 332-8521.

Celtic American Night

The Milwaukee Brewers and the Colorado Rockies will mix it up on Celtic American Night at County Stadium, Friday, June 2, 2000. Sponsor is the Ancient Order of Hibernians with proceeds benefiting the I.C.H.C. Tickets are only $22. Tickets may be purchased by calling the ICHC at (414) 345-8800. Master Charge and Visa are acceptable. Watch the May Reflections for more information.

40th Birthday Party
Reservation Form

Name:_____________________________________

Address:___________________________________

City:_______________________________________

Zip:________________________________________

Telephone Days:_____________________________

Evenings: ___________________________________

No. of Complete Package Tickets _____ x $25_____

No. of Concert Only Tickets ____ x $10 __________

Total Amount Enclosed $_______________________