Submitted by Ryma Lindquist, WWH

BALDWIN, WI – Western Wisconsin Health (WWH) is honored to announce that it has been named among the 2025 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. This annual award program recognizes outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®.

“This recognition is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the unwavering dedication of our entire team,” said Eilidh Pederson, Chief Executive Officer of Western Wisconsin Health. “Our providers, nurses, and staff work tirelessly to deliver high-quality, compassionate care to our patients and community. Being recognized as one of the top 100 Critical Access Hospitals, out of the 3,500 that exist in the country, is a true honor. We are incredibly proud of this achievement, which underscores our commitment to excellence in rural healthcare.”

“The Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals award program elevates the very best performers and helps create a roadmap for those seeking to improve financial and operational performance while continuing to care for the communities they serve,” said Michael Topchik, Executive Director, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “This is our 15th year recognizing the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate this milestone with this year’s winners.”

The INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is utilized nationwide by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

Western Wisconsin Health is honored to receive this designation and remains committed to providing exceptional healthcare services to the communities they serve. WWH extends our deepest gratitude to our dedicated team for their hard work and to our patients for trusting us with their care. As WWH continues to redefine rural healthcare, we strive to enhance access, provide patient-centered care, and foster community partnerships to help achieve our mission of building a healthier tomorrow, together.

Submitted by Lisa Fesenmaier, Free Clothing Exchange

SPRING VALLEY, WI – We held our 3rd Free Clothing Exchange today, Saturday, April 4, 2025. We got a lot of donations again and over 130 people took home bags or boxes of clothing.  We also held a free will donation bake sale that raised money for the Free School Supplies event being held at Spring Valley Elementary School this summer.

In addition to those donations, the owners of Half Fast Brewery held a Coin War with three other local businesses to raise money as well.

Altogether, $640 will be used to purchase school supplies that families can pick up at the Free School Supplies event.

We would like to thank all those that helped make this event successful. Whether they donated clothing, donated a baked item, collected supplies, helped sort through clothing, worked the event,  or helped us pack and clean up, we are so appreciative.

Bethel Lutheran Church in Ellsworth contacted us to pick up all the clothes left over to put in their Free event called Bethel’s Basement Blessings held on the 3rd Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each month.

By Julie Huebel, Pierce County Historical Association

ELMWOOD, WI – Jumping right in… G is for Gasteyer. John Phillip Gasteyer was born in 1823 in Hessen Nassau, Germany, he married his wife Anna Mary Weber in New Jersey in 1854 where he worked as a millwright for eight years.

From there, they lived in Illinois for one summer and the family then settled in Eau Galle Township of Dunn County in 1861 or 1862 which was very much a wilderness at that time.  There, they purchased government land, and per the History of Dunn County (published in 1925):  “When they took possession of it they had to walk to it along a blazed trail from the village of Eau Galle.  Mr. Gasteyer made a clearing and built a log hut with a “shake” roof; also a log stable with a straw roof.  The first winter he cut some timber, which he burned, making a clearing in which to plant corn and potatoes for the use of the family.

This planting he did in the spring, and not yet being provided with the necessary agricultural implements he had to chop holes in the ground with an axe to receive the seed.  But, little by little, he got the tools and machinery he needed and kept on improving his place until he had about 50 acres cleared.  The little log house in which he and his wife began housekeeping was in time replaced by a dwelling of hewed logs, with a surface measurement of 18×26 feet, and he also put up a granary and other buildings and bought 80 acres more land.  At the age of 65 years he ceased active work and in 1906 he died.”

On September 27, 1864, just a couple years after settling in Wisconsin, John was drafted for service into the Civil War and served in Company K of the 17th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment as a Private.  He was involved in Sherman’s march to the sea from November 15th to December 21st 1864 and then in the Campaign of the Carolinas from January 1st to April 26th of 1865.  His regiment participated in the Battle of Bentonville from March 19th to 24th, a Union victory, and the last large-scale battle of the Civil War.

With the end of the Civil War, his regiment participated in the Grand Review of the Armies in Washington, D.C. which was a military procession and celebration in late May of 1865. He would soon be discharged, heading home in June.

John passed away in 1906, his wife Anna passed in 1908, they are both buried in the Weber Valley Cemetery in Eau Galle Township.  They had four children:  Edwin, Lena (Mary Magdelena) Pauly, Peter, and Anna Gerard.

I could not find a link myself with my limited time researching, but another researcher online shows John’s parents as Philipp Gasteyer Jr. born in 1800 and Juliana Kramb in 1799, both in Nassau, Germany.  They stayed in Germany, their son came to the U.S. as an adult.  Going back another generation, Phillip Sr. (b. 1775) and Marie Magdelena Himmel (b. 1776).  They have Philipp Sr.’s parents as Johann (b. 1739) and Maria Eleonora Kalteyer (b. 1743). This family seems to have deep roots in Schonborn, Nassau, Germany which is located between Koblenz and Frankfurt.

Please do share early photos of John and Anna and their children and home if you have them!