2005 Winter - Wisconsin Writers Association

Page 21(Sherrie Avery-King, continued)Sherrie was married to Jerold Sawyer with whom she hadher dear daughter Jessica Dawn.Her second born, but not second loved daughter JenniferSuzanne was brought to life with her second husband JohnLyden.Michael King gave her his name and his love, which shereturned until his death in 1999.The family from which Sherrie drew strength and towhich she gave her heart includes her two daughters JessicaWisdom, her husband John and son Alexander, JennyLincks and her husband Jason along with their dogsMcKunze and Shadowa, her sisters Joanne Johnson andPatricia Beaver, her brother Robin Avery and their spouses.She was deeply grateful for having found and connectedwith cousins from her mother’s family in recent years.Sherrie gave to this world much more than she took fromit. She organized and ran Your Sister’s Closet for 10 yearswhere low-income women entering the workforce could findprofessional styled clothing at no cost. She was the Presidentof the Watertown Arts Council for five years and served onthe Leadership Watertown Board of Directors. A foundingmember of Writers on the Rock in Watertown, Sherrie alsowas Vice President of the Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Association.She sat on the Board of Jefferson County Tourism,was President of the Watertown Historical PreservationCommission, and was a member of the Friends of the WatertownLibrary.She worked as a telephone operator for Wisconsin Belland Office Manager for Rolex Corporation. Most recentlyshe was the first Main Street Manager in Watertown.Sherrie held special friends Pat and Bob Miller close toher heart as well as her foster parents June and Joe York.Sherrie won first place in 1998 the WRWA Jade RingContest in Juvenile Short Story. She continued to write compellingshort stories and tender poems until her death.Lines from her poem Gone reflect the feelings of her familyand friends at this time.Missing youis an achelike the worst homesicknessI am homesickFor a placeThat has burned to the groundI can never go home againI ache for you.In lieu of a memorial service, Sherrie held a celebration oflife with friends and family gathered around her while shewas able to express her love for them and theirs for her.We all miss you, Sherrie!(Paula Delfeld, continued)Her research took her throughout Wisconsin includingFrederic, where she befriended Bernice Abrahamzon, whohelped her research archives in northwestern Wisconsin. Herbook was published in 1977, the same year she won a JadeRing for photojournalism.Paula knew all the famous early members of the WRWAincluding Robert Gard, Al Nelson (from whom she tookwriting courses), Jerry Apps, August Derleth, James Auer,Mel Ellis, and more.Lois Pflum, Fond du Lac, remembers Paula as “one speciallady who encouraged me many times when I first startedto write and sell my articles. The very first interview I everdid, Paula came to take the photos for me and wouldn’t takeany money from me. [She] always gave me encouragementand leads to submit stories where the pay was good and alwaysacknowledged when I sold an article—often sendingme a copy with ‘nice job,’ or ‘good article,’ or ‘keep it up.’She was a wonderful person who really believed in theWRWA.”Paula wrote a detailed history of the WRWA and many ofthe writing clubs around the state. She donated the originalmanuscript to the WRWA in the summer of this year,shortly before she passed away. Her real legacy, though, isthe support for her extended family and the many writers shementored over more than a half-century.[Based on Paula’s obituary in The Fond du Lac Reporter,August 17,2005, the artcle on Paula by Kathie McGwin inthe summer edition of The Wisconsin Regional Writer, andcorrespondence from Lois Pflum.] #Call for Manuscripts—At the LaundromatWanted for use in a paperback anthology:short stories (1500 word max)poems ( one page max)humorous essays (1500 word max) and short jokestrue anecdote (1000 word or less best chance)which take place at or involve a Laundromat. (For ourpurposes a Laundromat is a commercial establishment,apartment, or dormitory where you pay to do your ownlaundry.) Good taste, please.Each contributor will receive two copies of the book anda discount on additional copies.Deadline: January 1, 2006Send manuscripts via e-mail to: Wilda Morris atwem@ameritech.net with the word Laundromat in thesubject line or mail to Cathy Conger, 510 Bruce Lane,Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494. Include a brief bio. If yousend by regular mail, include a SASE if you want a response.#