Five years ago, a drunken driver raced through a stop sign and slammed the Anderson’s family car. The crash killed his parents and brother and left Anderson paralyzed from the chest down. On Tuesday, he won election to Wisconsin’s state assembly.
When Mary Lou tells anyone about their upcoming 75th wedding anniversary, she says with a smile, the person is always stunned. “They ask me: ‘To the same man?!”
At lunch, many grads recounted working in tobacco fields in Stoughton as teens. They each had vivid recollections of the Depression. Martin Johnson of Watertown, the 10th of 11 children born to his family, remembered a frequent meal and said, “I still hate vegetable soup.”
What they saw astonished them: More than 500 students stood outside in a semi-circle and grieved quietly in peace. Dan and Melinda stood back at a respectful distance. “All you could hear,” Melinda said, “were the birds chirping.”
This was K9 Boris’ first public appearance at a community event since his original handler, 33-year-old Ryan Copeland, died while on duty Nov. 23.
Many residents brought their dogs out; others held American flags. Some saluted. Most had watery eyes as the procession moved along slowly, stopping momentarily at the Municipal Center, where the police department is located.
“We could offer mounds of superlatives about her work ethic and her strong opinions she shared – mostly in a respectful way – and her unfailing spirit. The best part about Cora was her unique ‘Cora-ness.'”
We talk about handling bad news. Reacting to good news, we agree, requires no preparation.