Fort’s Tuesday Club pens booklet sharing coronavirus pandemic memories

By Chris Spangler

Knitting. Walking the dog. Snowshoeing. Reading mysteries. And simply stopping to smell the roses.

Those are just a few of the things members of Fort Atkinson’s Tuesday Club did while “staying at home” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, they and many other activities appear in a booklet titled “Tuesday Club: Sharing Memories of the 2020-21 Coronavirus Pandemic.”

Founded in 1881, Tuesday Club is a women’s “study club” that meets monthly with a summer break. Members take turns hosting and presenting programs on topics within an annual theme.

Since they could not meet face-to-face during the pandemic, President Bonnie Geyer and Secretary Mabel Schumacher invited members to write about their pandemic experiences “to preserve a time in history.” 

“One year ago, our lives changed significantly with the advent of the coronavirus,” Geyer wrote in the booklet’s introduction. “We masked up, maintained a physical distance even from friends and family, and skipped holiday gatherings. And Tuesday Club, for the first time since 1918, stopped meeting in person.

“Unasked, we became part of a historical event that will undoubtedly have an impact for years to come. And it’s had an impact on each of us,” she added.

Members were invited to chronicle their challenges, lessons learned and even any unexpected positive aspects of the forced isolation they might have experienced. Photos also were shared.

Diane Abendroth likened the year to being “all dressed up with nowhere to go.”

“I now understand the meaning of the word ‘malaise,’” she wrote, noting that “’anticipation is a word I don’t use much anymore; ‘future’ is indefinite.’”

Among Abendroth’s activities were a small gathering for a granddaughter’s wedding, exercising while wearing a mask (“not fun”), and attending church via phone, TV or even the car radio from the church parking lot.

“Family: How lucky we have been!” And “Friends: The key to normalcy no matter how we connect with each other. Yes, I do miss Tuesday Club,” she concluded.

Lori Bocher wrote that she is fortunate to be in a stage of life at which she does not have to worry about work, losing an income or helping children with schoolwork.

“Also, I didn’t have any health conditions to worry about, and I’m an introvert, so staying at home wasn’t that difficult for me,” she said.

What did Bocher miss? Holiday family gatherings, in-person church, exercise classes and traveling at home and abroad.

“Here’s what I gained: An appreciation of the opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in and around Fort Atkinson … the bike trail, the city and county parks. Time to work on genealogy and history projects,” Bocher wrote. 

Sue and Bob Buell were in Florida when the pandemic started in March 2020. They had plans to walk on the beach, socialize with friends, play golf … and not listen to the news or read social media. Then her children called to tell them to come home due to the pandemic.

“What were they talking about? The beaches were full, as were the restaurants and shops,” Sue Buell wrote. “Finally, reality set in. We had one last night out at a restaurant, outside, tables at a distance, thinking this will be over in a couple of weeks!”

One year later, she has a new hip and two grandchildren who are a lot taller than they were when they last were able to gather in person. 

“So much disruption to everyone’s usual lives, but through it all, what I’ve realized is how wonderful people are and how much family and friends truly mean,” Buell said. “There have been less rushing and ‘noise’ and more time for thought and appreciation. When we can finally be ‘normal,’ I hope normal will be more enjoyed.”

Betty Covey shared that she “learned to smell the roses” during the coronavirus shutdown. She made phone calls and sent written notes to people, and to her surprise, people returned the favor.

“Texting, phoning, Facebook and Zoom are not a substitute for face-to-face interaction …,” she observed.

Ann Engelman shared three impressions of the past year.

First, calendars just stopped. Second, many people truly rested. And third, those who could enjoyed being at home.

“Many missed interactions, especially families. Many were, and still are, hurting,” she noted.

“We count our blessings every day. Every. Day.”

As a Girl Scout in fifth grade, Joan Jones learned to knit by making afghans for soldiers. She still likes to knit squares, as it is a soothing pastime.

“During the stay-at-home time, I got out my basket of squares and sewed them together,” she wrote, adding that she also read bags of murder mysteries and enjoyed the companionship of her and husband Milo’s new dog, Darla.

Jane Klopcic reported how her family’s business, The Fireside Dinner Theatre, wintered the pandemic storm. Like all “nonessential businesses,” it was closed and the employees were laid off in mid-March 2020.

Management employees, meanwhile, worked from home, rescheduling reservations and trying to find ways to garner some revenue.

“The first things that came from that were the online gift shop and curbside carryout, both of which required online ordering software we didn’t currently have,” she noted.

They came up with a temporary workaround and, despite the extra time and effort it took, were able to sell some of the new spring and summer merchandise they already had purchased.

The Fireside then started offering curbside dinner carryouts on Fridays, Wednesdays and holidays.

“Our system of having the customer check in along the front of the building, where staff would relay the order number to the team inside the main entrance, where the order would be packed and delivered once the customer drove around proved to be the smoothest carryout operation in town,” Klopcic wrote. 

The Fireside reopened its dining room on Fridays after being certified for the “Ready to Serve Safely” program, and postponed two stage productions by a year.

“We started planning a summer concert series featuring top Fireside performers and tribute artists in solo or duo performances for small socially distanced audiences,” Klopcic said. “Our concert series has now filled the summer, fall, winter and spring while we await enough easing of the restrictions that allow us to mount a bigger production.”

Since that was written, “Cinderella” will open tomorrow (July 22) on the Fireside stage.

Carol Knox cited the challenges during the pandemic as being boredom and being comfortable that what she chose to do was safe for herself and others.

As for lessons learned, she said, “It’s OK to slow down and just ‘be.’”

For Merrilee Lee, staying at home was a positive experience.

“I’ve never had so many family game nights, family movie nights and family walks/drives as we’ve had in the past few months,” she wrote. “And I wouldn’t change a thing.”

The pandemic wreaked havoc for Joan Mittag’s travel plans, forcing cancellation of a trip to Alaska and the annual July visit to Fort Atkinson of her daughter and grandchildren in Germany.

“I think life during the pandemic was much less busy and more relaxed,” Mittag wrote. “I became much more patient and decided that things don’t have to be done ‘today.’ You’ve got time. I needed that lesson.”

Angela Nelson wrote that her word for the pandemic year was “intentional.”

“I have been more intentional with relationships my belongings, and overall, my past year, I have simplified my home and, most of all, the closets,” she said. “I have enjoyed the simple things of life and taken the time to smell the roses, per se.

Marie Dorgan Nelson shared that her 19-year-old son, Ben, contracted COVID-19 at his job, so he isolated himself at his parents’ home with his own bedroom, bathroom and mealtimes.

“Our family probably spent the last summer we will have all together,” wrote Dorgan-Nelson, who also penned a journal of her activities and thoughts every day since March 25, 2020. 

“Sundays were family days with a fun activity pulled out of a bag that everyone contributed to,” she said. “The most popular activity was playing bags in the back yard. Ben and Clare also cooked two meals a week. There was some good sibling bonding time.”

Carolyn Nord said she has mixed feelings about the pandemic. She has several friends who contracted COVID-19 and a niece who almost died from it.  

“We missed getting together with family and friends, but realized that if all of us are careful about keeping our distance and washing our hands, we will be able to see the end of this,” she wrote. 

“I miss the freedom of traveling, especially since I am in my late 70s,” she added. “I won’t live forever, but I still want to do exciting things. I am just thankful for what I have.”

Barb Pernacciaro shared her memories in a letter to her parents, who passed away more than two decades ago. She reported how it started and that COVID-19 had killed 345,000 Americans by the end of 2020.

“How has my life changed?” she wrote. “I have not seen my children or grandson in more than a year. I miss my much-loved clubs and organizations that have not met face-to-face since January 2020.”

Pernacciaro noted that the television is inundated with COVID-19 news, which has become tiresome.

“I have a sign in my bedroom with just three words on it: eat, sleep, read. That is about it,” she said. “I know things will get better. We shall survive!”

Ruth Schauer wrote how fortunate she has been, as only one family member contracted COVID-19 and she fully recovered.

“I try to be patient and to adapt to new ways of staying in touch,” she said. “I have reconnected by phone with several friends from the past and enjoy phone calls and porch visits from family and friends.

“And to me, the spring has never been more beautiful,” Schauer concluded.

Mabel Schumacher kept very busy during the pandemic year by organizing the Kennel Club of Fort Atkinson’s K-9 Veterans Day ceremony and coordinating a sculpture honoring the organization’s three founding members. She also helped with newspaper articles for the Humane Society of Jefferson County and emails to keep Tuesday Club members in touch with each other.

“Perhaps because of this unusual time, I have realized several things,” she said, starting with “people are caring” and “resilient.

“As we look forward to a more normal future, we can do so with pride that we endured and survived this unprecedented time in our generation,” Schumacher wrote. “We came out the other side stronger.”

Marti Tetzer shared that her daughter, Jennifer, was traveling around the world when the coronavirus hit and she was stranded on a cruise to Antarctica with nowhere to dock. The up side, though, was that she met a nice man there and they are continuing to date.

On the other side of the spectrum, however, Tetzer’s in-laws became very depressed during isolation and both died within a few weeks of each other. 

“The one thing we know and hold fast to is how important that the support of our family, friends and community are. In that regard, we are blessed and hope those blessings can be shared by all,” Tetzer concluded.

Mary Touton kept busy during the year of the coronavirus, stitching three quilts and three braided rugs. She also enjoyed books on tape and got hooked on “Little House on the Prairie.”

“I’m not complaining,” she wrote. “I am safe and have a lot of things to entertain me. The pandemic is just something that we had to go through. It was really something, but now with the vaccine, we’ll be able to get out more. We’ll still want to wear masks and keep safe, but it will be nice to see friends again.”

Cindy Whitney wrote that her biggest worry during the pandemic was for her son, Tom, and family, who are missionaries in Angola. They eventually arrived in Wisconsin in August, safe and sound.

“In reflection, the one aspect of COVID  for which will always be grateful is that we’ve had an extra half-year with our son and his family nearby,” she wrote. “There have been countless hours of play with our grandchildren that otherwise would not have been possible.”

Continuing the theme of visitors from afar, Marsha Wilson wrote that her daughter, Nora, and family were visiting from Shenzhen, China, when the coronavirus hit. Their two-week visit became a 7 ½-month stay.

The minor challenges of rearranging the household were nothing compared to the joys of having Nora and her family home, Wilson said. 

“Having little ones to read to, play games, color, bake, do puzzles, pretend, dance and make crafts with; take to Frostie Freeze, storytime at the library and First Fridays at the museum when they were open was so much fun,” she wrote, adding that her grandchildren enjoyed playing with the four youngsters next door.

“The pandemic has forced me to slow down and spend more time at home, allowing me to finish a few undone projects and to read more,” Wilson said,

“I don’t think I will take the ability to move around in public freely without a facemask or hand sanitizer ever for granted again,” she concluded.

Finally, Deb Wishau listed the many things, both pro and con, that occurred during the year of the pandemic. They ranged from the countless deaths and people losing jobs to more family bonding and people taking up new hobbies and skills.

“COVID has tested all of us to the core with every emotion available, both good and bad,” Wishau wrote. “In the end, we as a people have found that we’re tougher than we thought. 

“Life is worth fighting for and all that it has to offer, the good and the bad.”

To view the full booklet, visit the following link: 

http://fortatkinsononline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/FINAL-Combined-PDF-Coronavirus-Memories-Collation-FOR-ONLINE-POST.pdf