I’m a transplant to Green Bay, but I grew up in Chicago, a city boy at heart. Even from a very young age, I loved to tell stories. Photos by Colleen BIes When I went to see a movie, the thing I looked forward to most was going home, seeing my cousins, and telling them
“A strong sense of community.” Read More »
I grew up in southern Wisconsin the first 18 years of my life. I was always drawn to the mountains, so I moved out to Colorado where I was married to a man and the mountains for 20 years. Photos by Jeremy Oswald I’d been an elementary and special education teacher in Steamboat Springs. And
“I was always drawn to the mountains.” Read More »
I was born and raised in Northern Wisconsin, up in the Snowbelt of Lake Superior. In the early 1900s, that area was heavily mined for iron. There was about a thirty-mile iron range that played a huge role in feeding the Industrial Revolution. The highest-grade iron ore in the world was here. Photos by Rebecca
Surfing Lake Superior Read More »
I would say my family, my mother, my grandmother, and uncles that came by, shaped who I was. Even though we didn’t have much when I was a kid, they made sure my brothers and I were good people. Photos by Hedi Lamarr Rudd Share This Post So I give tribute to them first. But
“I turned my pain into passion and started mentoring.” Read More »
My ancestors came from Ireland and Ohio to a parcel of land in the Driftless region and homesteaded in 1854. Photo by Hedi Lamarr Rudd I am the sixth generation to be raised on the family property formerly used as a 40-head milking dairy farm, but the government pretty much forced out family farms. It’s
Farming Music in The Driftless Read More »
I grew up on the powwow trail. My family and I used to travel to powwows all across the U.S. and enter dance competitions. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, it was normal to me, just something we did. Photos by Colleen Bies Share This Post Every weekend we’d go to
Bringing Lacrosse Back to the Community Read More »
I’m a fourth-generation circus performer. My mother is originally from Hungary and my father is originally from Bulgaria. My great-grandfather and great-grandmother started circus arts in Budapest. He did slack wire, balancing on a thin wire suspended in air and juggled side-by-side with my great-grandmother. Photos by Hedi Lamarr Rudd In 1963, both my grandmas
“I’m a fourth-generation circus performer.” Read More »
I’m from Fall Creek, Wisconsin, which is a very small town. Growing up, I was surrounded by a family of storytellers. Photos by Andi Stempniak My dad’s a public speaker, and my grandparents love to tell stories. My paternal grandmother has been writing poetry for longer than I’ve been alive, and my mom’s mother used
“I love creating characters with important life lessons to learn.” Read More »
My life is never dull. I’m the co-director of the Wild Rumpus Circus in Mazomanie, Wisconsin. The name ‘wild rumpus’ was inspired by Maurice Sendak’s great book, Where The Wild Things Are. Photos by Hedi Lamarr Rudd In the book, Max says, ‘Let the wild rumpus start,’ and we thought rumpus was such a fun
“Let the Wild Rumpus Start!” Read More »
A long time ago, I dated a pilot who took me flying—multiple times, actually. And I fell in love with it. Photos by Hedi Lamarr Rudd It was one of those moments where a light bulb went off and I thought, ‘Hey, I could do this.’ And I thought more about it and decided if
“Flying airplanes was my dream.” Read More »
I was an extremely lucky kid to grow up on a small farm. I’m the seventh of eight kids in a farm family from down in far southwest Richland County. Our home farm is right above the Wisconsin River. Photos by Andi Stempniak I grew up exploring the Driftless ridges where I could hunt and
“I want my grandchildren to have the same clear-water experiences I had growing up.” Read More »
I am a water girl, and absolutely love being on, in, or near the water. Just yesterday my husband, 16-year-old son and I spent a few hours in our boat fishing for smallmouth bass near Ashland on Lake Superior. This is one of my favorite places because the Big lake has a special beauty that
“I love living in this amazing place.” Read More »
