*These gorgeous patriotic wreaths made by SRWC member Susan Maguire! Contact her to purchase.
*You can purchase patriotic wreaths from SRWC member Susan Maguire!
Historical Highlights
2005-SRWC Celebrates 40th Anniversary!
1990sMarch 1990 - March 1st Coffee to meet Tim Lawless, 10th District State Assembly.
March 14th - "Trashing of America" - Our own member Gail Miller Wray, a political appointee, has been EPA's recycling coordinator since May, 1989 where she is developing a model for the whole government. She started with recycling in 1977 when she worked for the American Can Company and on a recycling project for the City of Milwaukee. Prior to her appointment Gail served as Executive Director of Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, Inc. February 1990 - Lincoln Day Luncheon - Guest Speaker Supervisor Tom Bailey at Town Club Cost $10.00 Following the Milwaukee County update, Tom will open the meeting for discussion. He welcomes questions on higher property taxes, child abuse crisis, O'Donnell Park, drugs, 911, intergovernmental relationship, the new jail, drug courts and anything else of interest to you. January 1990 - Open Board Meeting to plan SRWC activities for 1990. December 1989 - A Christmas Tea - Wisconsin Women's Council Guest Speaker Ruth Godar at home of Betty Sills
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SRWC Presidents1965 – 1970 Mary Grueninger O’Leary* 1960 - 1970 Gloria Johnson* 1970 – 1971 Lyle Barr 1971 – 1973 Evelyn Wallace 1974 – 1976 Trudy Smith* 1976 – 1978 Nancy Carpenter 1979 – 1983 Lee Daehling* 1984 – 1985 JoAnn Beightol 1986 – 1987 Fran Courtney* 1988 – 1990 Mary Hoffmann 1991 – 1993 Beverly Schwan 1994 – 1997 Lee Daehling* 1998 – 1999 Melinda de Coriolis 2000 – 2001 Polly Oppenheim* 2001 – 2002 Lee Daehling* 2002 – 2004 Polly Pakenham Porter* 2005 – 2006 Debbie McNear Wheeler 2007 – Jane Carpenter *deceased |
1983 - Barbara Bush Thanks SRWC for their Hospitality
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1979 - WI's First Lady tells SRWC, "Like any old girl, it (the mansion) needs a face-lift."
1967-Dec14, Fox Point-Bayside-River Hills Herald: "We are today fighting once again ..."
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In Memoriam
The SRWC honors Mary Grueninger-O'Leary as the Founder of our club and have a webpage devoted to our founding, which you may want to look at: SRWC History. She stayed in touch with our club through the service that her daughter, Toni, continues to provide! In fact, last year Mary's companion and nurse, Gisela, was one of our keynote speakers telling how she escaped from communism and ended up in a land promising freedom (and warnings of deja vu).
As Mary is quoted as saying: "We must educate ourselves and then, with our new knowledge and insight, proceed to educate others... And, to promote true Republican principles which, of course, are the concepts of freedom. The true concept of freedom is people as individuals rather than the masses." Mary lived her values to the end, and it is an honor to keep the SRWC going today and continue her fight for freedom. Click here for Mary's obituary in the MKE J/S.
As Mary is quoted as saying: "We must educate ourselves and then, with our new knowledge and insight, proceed to educate others... And, to promote true Republican principles which, of course, are the concepts of freedom. The true concept of freedom is people as individuals rather than the masses." Mary lived her values to the end, and it is an honor to keep the SRWC going today and continue her fight for freedom. Click here for Mary's obituary in the MKE J/S.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Carol's family. She was planning on going to the SRWC meeting and will be missed! A long-time board member, Carol was always there and so positive about everything we were doing.
In memory of Carol, a donor matched donations to the SRWC, which helped us provide generous gifts to keynote speaker organizations this year..
In memory of Carol, a donor matched donations to the SRWC, which helped us provide generous gifts to keynote speaker organizations this year..
Strong WI Roots - The SRWC Began During a Time of Turmoil - 1964
Our country's and our club's founders were strong, principled people who
believed in limited government, the Constitution, and the Declaration
of Independence's assertion that "We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. —
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."
The following article, in the Milwaukee Sentinel 2/20/1967, highlights one of our club's founders and the focus and drive of our longstanding membership. |
 The SRWC is affiliated with the Wisconsin
Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican
Women.
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To Friends of the SRWC
Words from Mary Grueninger-O'Leary (shown above) who founded our club.
"We had worked our hearts out for the nomination and election of Senator Barry Goldwater as President of the United States of America. He was the first Republican for a number of years to be able to explain what being a Republican is all about in his book, The Conscience of a Conservative. It was a real shock to many of us who worked at the North Shore Republican Club Goldwater Headquarters to realize that some people who called themselves "Republicans" did not know the meaning of the word, nor why they were Republicans. Several women, Fran Courtney, Pat Pfeifer, Gloria Johnson, Nancy Ethier, and Harriet Kenyon, asked me to join them to go to Washington to the NFRW Women's Conference. We were inspired to do something about educating women, because at that time, men were busy making a living for us and our children. We returned to Milwaukee to do something new. We got 10 members together, as required by NFRW bylaws, to start a new club, dedicated not only to education, but to combine it with fun! Isn't it fun to learn while enjoying socializing with other women who share our Republican values while recruiting more? It proves we are right to be celebrating our 47th anniversary, doesn't it? It never could have been done without those who continued to carry the torch. I, personally, am thrilled that my daughter, Toni, who "cut her teeth" on GOP principles at the dinner table with her late father, Jim Grueninger and yours truly is involved with the SRWC. Our club has come a long way in the past 45+ years, and we should be proud of our accomplishments. While much as changed in the world since the Goldwater days, the SRWC continues to promote our tried and true Republican values (as paraphrased from the Blue Book):"
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