Her name was Lizette. I never knew her.
The only stories I have of her are from an old man's memories of when he was 5. From the look in his eyes when he spoke of her, I decided she was either a beautiful woman or a very loving mother, or both.
One traditional story handed down by her family tells me her home stood near the railroad tracks in Monroe, where Wisconsin 69 now lies.
By chance, I discovered her death recorded in the annals of St. John's Church. She was born on Christmas Day, 1868, in Switzerland. She died in 1907; she was 39. No one yet can tell me where she is buried.
I look at the maps hanging on the walls in city hall and try to figure out if her house is depicted on any of them. I scan old photographs in books and at the museum, looking for someone who might seem "familiar." I peruse old news articles hoping to see her name.
The lady has gotten "under my skin." I now cannot walk around the Square without wondering what Lizette saw when she lived here. I cannot drive across those railroad tracks without wondering if I have run through the spot where her flowers once stood, or her kitchen. And I cannot see those German words etched above the church doors without wondering how often she ascended the same steps and entered the building.
The county courthouse clock tower has become Monroe's iconic logo, but Monroe Main Street board and committees are pondering a "brand" for the city. A brand stays consistent in the minds of people, conjuring up the same look and evoking the same feeling in a number of different venues.
When someone says Wisconsin Dells, we think of water parks. When we hear New Glarus, it's a little Swiss village.
I first heard the question "What do you think of when you hear the name Monroe?" raised by Ryan Wilson, a member of Monroe Main Street, at a committee meeting. The rest of the committee members couldn't agree on one concept.
For Ron Spielman, it was the courthouse and clock tower.
"Whenever I come out of a store and look up, I know where I'm at," he said.
Barb Nelson, director of Monroe Main Street, said the brand "could be as little as one store." That store, she said, is probably Baumgartner's.
"When has any TV station or film company come to Monroe and not set up with the courthouse or Baumgartner's in the background?" she asked.
I thought I would do a little polling myself, and started asking people outside the city what they thought of when they heard the name Monroe. The first person said, "Cheese Days," the second said "a drug town." I ended my quest early, believing every other answer would fall somewhere in between.
In a positive light, the two distinctly different answers probably indicate that Monroe's brand is not already set in stone, but it would be a challenge to incorporate most everyone's idea of Monroe. With some effort, the city could still create a unique one of its own.
I am not suggesting Monroe use Lizette as its brand - that's too gauche, even for me. I know many Monroe residents have a "Lizette" in their past.
But I would like Monroe to expand its logo with a brand that encompasses time in memoriam to include all of its 150 years - its residents, its events, its businesses and its memories.
Because Lizette still lives in me. Without her gravesite, Monroe is the only thing left I have of my great grandmother.
- Tere Dunlap is a reporter for The Monroe Times. She can be reached at
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
The only stories I have of her are from an old man's memories of when he was 5. From the look in his eyes when he spoke of her, I decided she was either a beautiful woman or a very loving mother, or both.
One traditional story handed down by her family tells me her home stood near the railroad tracks in Monroe, where Wisconsin 69 now lies.
By chance, I discovered her death recorded in the annals of St. John's Church. She was born on Christmas Day, 1868, in Switzerland. She died in 1907; she was 39. No one yet can tell me where she is buried.
I look at the maps hanging on the walls in city hall and try to figure out if her house is depicted on any of them. I scan old photographs in books and at the museum, looking for someone who might seem "familiar." I peruse old news articles hoping to see her name.
The lady has gotten "under my skin." I now cannot walk around the Square without wondering what Lizette saw when she lived here. I cannot drive across those railroad tracks without wondering if I have run through the spot where her flowers once stood, or her kitchen. And I cannot see those German words etched above the church doors without wondering how often she ascended the same steps and entered the building.
The county courthouse clock tower has become Monroe's iconic logo, but Monroe Main Street board and committees are pondering a "brand" for the city. A brand stays consistent in the minds of people, conjuring up the same look and evoking the same feeling in a number of different venues.
When someone says Wisconsin Dells, we think of water parks. When we hear New Glarus, it's a little Swiss village.
I first heard the question "What do you think of when you hear the name Monroe?" raised by Ryan Wilson, a member of Monroe Main Street, at a committee meeting. The rest of the committee members couldn't agree on one concept.
For Ron Spielman, it was the courthouse and clock tower.
"Whenever I come out of a store and look up, I know where I'm at," he said.
Barb Nelson, director of Monroe Main Street, said the brand "could be as little as one store." That store, she said, is probably Baumgartner's.
"When has any TV station or film company come to Monroe and not set up with the courthouse or Baumgartner's in the background?" she asked.
I thought I would do a little polling myself, and started asking people outside the city what they thought of when they heard the name Monroe. The first person said, "Cheese Days," the second said "a drug town." I ended my quest early, believing every other answer would fall somewhere in between.
In a positive light, the two distinctly different answers probably indicate that Monroe's brand is not already set in stone, but it would be a challenge to incorporate most everyone's idea of Monroe. With some effort, the city could still create a unique one of its own.
I am not suggesting Monroe use Lizette as its brand - that's too gauche, even for me. I know many Monroe residents have a "Lizette" in their past.
But I would like Monroe to expand its logo with a brand that encompasses time in memoriam to include all of its 150 years - its residents, its events, its businesses and its memories.
Because Lizette still lives in me. Without her gravesite, Monroe is the only thing left I have of my great grandmother.
- Tere Dunlap is a reporter for The Monroe Times. She can be reached at
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
