Senior Connections Senior Connections Aug. 2018 | Page 11

Local columnist ends her 50-year career

JAN ENGELHARDT

Correspondent

“ It is mind-boggling sometimes ,” mused Cathy Stifter , reflecting upon her 50 years as a local news columnist . “ It ’ s just unbelievable . Yeah , I didn ’ t think I ’ d ever make it 50 years in writing . I hate to call it quits , but I ’ m going to have to .”

When you meet Cathy for the first time , you are likely to be enveloped in a warm hug , because , as she said , “ Hugs are better than handshakes .”

The lively , outgoing octogenarian cites the demands of family and wanting more time for her grandchildren and for community activities , as well as the competition of electronic media and news sources , as reasons for her decision to retire .

“ Now , it ’ s going into email , the internet , plus Facebook , but nobody tells me anything . Some weeks , I hardly had anything , which is frustrating , because I wanted to do it , but I see so many editors , and what have you , that are retiring at this time , and I did turn 80 .

“ And , I ’ ve been really , really busy . I have a Downs Syndrome daughter , Laura , and she ’ s 35 and working five days a week , which is great , but she still needs a lot of my attention .

“ My husband , Vince , has been ill since January , so he ’ s been taking up a lot of my time . And if we make it to August , we will be married 60 years . It ’ s one more thing to reach .”

The inspiration for a writing career had its roots in her childhood in Milwaukee , WI .

According to Cathy , “ It all started when I was about 10 years old . That ’ s how I got started . Even in school , I hated getting up in front of the group and giving a big report , but give me a piece of paper and a pen , and I can write you a whole dang book .

“ How I got started , my mom , my dad , and my brothers and I , each summer , we would drive from Milwaukee to Friendship , WI , and the aunt that we stayed with was a schoolteacher , who also did the column for their local newspaper . Nosey me , I was reading all her stuff , and thought , ‘ Gosh , I ’ d like to do that someday .’ Low and behold , here I am , 70 years later !”

Stifter managed to write her Mayer News column while raising six children , Joe , Paul , Mary , Tom , Anne , and Laura . She assisted in the family business , R & V Auto Service Center , taught religion classes for 25 years at Watertown ’ s Immaculate Conception Catholic Church , and continues to volunteer in the Mayer community . Cathy began writing her column featuring local news snippets in May 1968 .

Describing those early days , she said , “ Years ago , I had so much news . When I started , I could have many , many things in the paper : who visited who , who passed away , who went to funerals , who had birthdays . I would even put in birth announcements or graduations . I used to be able to list graduation parties , the people that were there . They always had

Cathy Stifter is looking forward to spending more time with her “ little dears .”

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some news for me . Special birthday parties , which was great . Just visitors , that was very important to the readers . Even weddings , I would have weddings listed , who had gotten married from town . Births , I liked to put those in . If somebody from Mayer had a baby , I ’ d call them and get the lowdown on their babies . I used to have , like , half a page of my news in each paper .”

When asked to describe how her reporting had changed throughout the years , Cathy said , “ Yes , very many changes , very many changes . Years ago , I would have a list of the people in town who wanted news in my column . If they didn ’ t call me before my due date , when I had to have it typed out and get it to the news offices , I would call them the night before . Then I would type it out . You know , years ago I had the old plink , plink , plink [ manual ] typewriter . . .

After hubby bought me an electric typewriter , it worked a little bit better , but fingers still made mistakes , so you had to erase .

Then , I had a fax machine , so I ’ d fax it to each of the offices . I still don ’ t know how to get into the email , so my son , Paul , sets it up for me when I want to do my news . After email , it was a lot easier . My son had it set so I could just put the little dash / check on each company or news office , and WOOSH , just like that ! I did learn how to use the computer . Without the computer , I would type it up , print it out , then come up here , and send it on the fax machine to the different offices . . .

“ It always got done , though . I don ’ t think I missed a week . I can ’ t remember ever not having any news in . . . 50 years ! I even got the news done when I was in the hospital [ giving birth ] with Annie . I did it in the hospital bed .

Cathy said , that doing the Mayer News column didn ’ t fell like work , though .

“ This was my fun ,” she said . “ It was entertaining , and I hope that the people who read it , enjoyed it .”

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