News: Neillsville - Project to
Honor Opelt Legacy (2021)
Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail:
dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Schutte, Opelt, Clough
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 2/17/2021
News: Community Project to Honor Opelt Legacy (2021)
Community Project to Honor Opelt Legacy
Through an upcoming project, Neillsville business owner Irv Schutte has found a
way to honor his grandparents’ legacy as well as provide a play space for the
children of the community.
“I’m really excited … I feel honored to do something for my grandma and
grandpa,” said Schutte.
Schutte is working with the Neillsville Improvement Corporation [NIC] to have a
playground structure built that is dedicated to his grandparents, Carl and
Millie Opelt. Schutte owns and operates Buck’s Creekside Bar in what used to be
the American Legion building, located next to O’Neill Creek on the north side of
Neillsville.
“Schutte was inspired by his granddaughter, Lily, to develop a play area on his
establishment lawn between the bar’s parking lot and the city-owned Fountain
Park. There were several significant hurdles involved, but through the sale of
this land, plus a partnership with NIC, Schutte’s dream is on its way to
becoming a reality, a press release from NIC stated.
“Schutte, as well as other community members and city representatives, will
serve on the project development committee. NIC will served as the fiscal agent
and coordinator of the project and is working with MSA Professional Services of
Marshfield to engineer the plan. The preliminary site plan includes a large paly
structure dedicated to Carl and Millie, as well as the entrance to a
recreational biking/walking trail.”
The project will honor two people who have had a great influence on the
Neillsville area. Carl and Millie Opelt moved to Neillsville from Waupaca after
their marriage in 1921. They had 12 children. At the time of Millie’s passing in
2003, there were 75 grandchildren, 230-plus great-grandchildren and 50-plus
great-great-grandchildren. The family has grown even more since then.
In 1947, Carl started his own business, today known as Opelt Sand and Gravel.
G&S Trucking was added in 1984 as the family-owned business expanded. The Opelts
have contributed to the development and support of the Neillsville area for the
past century.
Schutte is the son of Donald and Evelyn (Opelt) Schutte. He said his
grandparents were “very loving people.” He said that besides raising their 12
children, they also took in kids who needed a place to stay. He said they
treated all their grandkids as special, no matter if they were adopted,
biological, step-grandchildren or kids who were just visiting for a time.
“They were very well-liked, well-known and always there for anybody that needed
it,” he said.
Carl Opelt passed away at the age of 90 in 1989, and Millie, at the age of 101
in 2003, but continued to leave a lasting legacy through their descendants.
Now that he is a grandfather himself, Schutte has developed a close relationship
with his granddaughter, Lily, 6. He helped her learn how to ride a trike and
bike and set up fun activities for kids in the basement of his bar like a bouncy
house.
“I’m the doting grandfather … Lily and I go on a lot of adventures together,”
said Schutte.
Irv Schutte’s granddaughter Lily Carolfi, 6, has served as inspiration for him
wanting to put up a new play structure in Neillsville. Submitted photo
Two summers ago, he put up a rope swing in the yard by his bar. Lily enjoyed it
and other kids would come by and use it, too. One lady came and read her book in
it. Schutte said he was glad to see people enjoying the swing and he would thank
them for using it. That got him thinking about if it there was way he could do
more and put in some play equipment. He knew how much his granddaughter enjoyed
going to playgrounds, so he thought it would be neat to put in a playground
there for kids to enjoy. He also had the idea of putting in outdoor fitness
equipment too, so the parents could be active.
“It would be nice to have something downtown, since Neillsville’s parks are on
edges of town,” he said.
About a year ago, Schutte started having what has been an ongoing conversation
with NIC members. His ideas fit in well with NIC’s ideas, and he liked the idea
of having the playground be on the biking/walking trail.
“With the trail being there, it will help people be active,” said Schutte.
With the support of the Listeman Foundation, NIC recently finalized the purchase
of the property from Schutte, as well as four parcels from Northern States Power
Company. These parcels will form the first portion of the recreational trail, as
outlined in both the city’s and county’s long-range plans. City and county
representatives are working with NIC to develop ideas for expanded public use.
Dan Clough of NIC said he was looking forward to seeing this part of the project
take shape and the benefit it would bring to the community.
“This is a community project that NIC has been working on for several years.
We’ve said all along it’s a long-term project, and we have to bite off chunks at
a time. So right now, we’re working on the trailhead portion… It’s a community
project – it’s all for the community,” he said.
The tentative timeline is to start work on the playground site this summer,
although that will depend on the site plan and fundraising.
Schutte is excited to see how the plans materialize and continue to move forward
with the project.
“It seems like it was meant to be. It’s a dream come true,” he said.
He credits his granddaughter with inspiring him to do this. There will be some
sort of plaque thanking her in the new park.
“I like the idea of Lily being able to come out there with her kids someday and
tell them, ‘I was the inspiration for this,’” said Schutte.
Donations toward both projects, the Carl and Millie Opelt play structure or the
recreational trail, can be directed to NIC at 508 Hewett street, Neillsville.
People should designate the project they wish to support.
For further information, contact NIC at 715-743-3440 or visit
www.neillsvilleimprovement,jimdo.com.
© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.
Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.
Become a Clark County History Buff
|
|
A site created and
maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke, Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,
|