Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Kren, Walde, Byrne, Strangfeld, Wilson
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 1/11/2023
Neillsville FFA Turns Award into Scholarship (2023)
In honor of Tom Kren’s memory and everything he did for the community, Morgan Strangfeld of the FFA (far left), Carla Byrne, FFA Advisor (left); and Michelle Walde of the Christmas Wish Program (far right); present Diane Kren ((right) with a donation. Submitted photos
By Edward DuBois
The Kren’s have been healing since the loss of Thomas “Tom” Kren, 59, of Neillsville in an accident in June 2022.
Tom’s wife, Diane Kren, and his family have been carrying on his legacy of farming since, keeping his memory alive.
In honor of Kren’s late husband, she was chosen as a recipient for a Christmas Wish donation from the Christmas Wish Program.
Both Kren’s were active in the Neillsville FFA, with Diane Kren being a former chamber director.
“Farming was in [Tom’s] blood,” Kren said.
Michelle Walde, Kren’s niece, member of the Christmas Wish Program and the Clark Electric Cooperative, explained the Christmas Wish Program is a group of cooperatives around the area who offer gifts and services for those in need during the holiday season. Members of the cooperative include AgCounty Farm Credit Services, Clark Electric Appliance and Satellite, Farmers Union Co-op Transport, Lakewood Credit Union, WKEB/WIGM Radio and more.
People are nominated by the sponsoring cooperatives, which go to a committee. The Christmas Wish board chose Diane Kren to receive the donation, in honor of her husband’s dedication to his craft and, therefore, the community.
The board also nominated Walde to present the donation to Kren. The donation came with a card that expressed a wish for joy and good health, among other well-wishes, to the recipient.
“Hope you feel that you are thought of and wished blessings of good fortune [and] good health, today and always,” one paragraph in the card read.
In addition, Carla Byrne, FFA advisor, said the FFA plans to award one $500 scholarship per year. The scholarship will be geared toward agricultural studies. The application does not dictate the length of the degree being applied for.
“Tom [Kren] was all about helping kids,” Diane Kren said. “It’s just fitting.”
