2023 Inductees

Peter is a 1966 graduate of WDHS. As a high school junior, Peter met Jim Watch, then-publisher of the Wisconsin Dells Events with his wife Betty. It turned out to be a defining moment in Peter’s life. Jim encouraged his contributions to the school news section of the Events and later took on Peter as a stringer during his breaks in college. Jim was a champion of local journalism and, Peter says, a role model and inspiration to him into the years ahead.

He enlisted in the Army, where was assigned to become a Russian linguist as part of the U.S. Army Security Agency. He was sent to an intensive Russian language-immersion course at the Defense Language Institute in California and assigned duty on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido intercepting Soviet communications. As he took on other roles in life, Peter continued to serve his country; enlisting in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, eventually retiring with 32 years of service and the rank of colonel.

When Peter returned to UW Madison, he served as a part-time copy editor for the Wisconsin State Journal. He joined paper full time in 1975, while completing graduate school. Peter earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism. From there, he has lived in both Wisconsin and Montana and led a distinguished career in newspaper journalism.

Throughout his life, Peter strived to improve the communities he lived in. From his determination to ensure that the public remained informed on vital subjects, to his efforts of creating better communication and understanding between groups and community stakeholders, he sought to better the world around him.

Through the years Peter has been the recipient of numerous awards. Most notably a the distinguished service awards to journalism and the newspaper industry from the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Journalism and a lifetime achievement award from The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council.

Peter married Nikki Floor, a special education teacher, in 2004. Together they have a wonderful blended family of two adult daughters, Martha and Katherine from Peter’s first marriage, and two adult sons, Erik and Paul, as well as their six grandchildren.

Tim Ennis the eldest of 11 children born to Dick and Marge Ennis. He grew up with his siblings on a 167-acre dairy farm just west of Wisconsin Dells, now Trappers Turn property. Tim began his education at Fern Dell, a one room country school, under the tutelage of Mrs. Mary Nate. He started second grade in the new two room Fern Dell School. Mrs. Nate was Tim’s only teacher for all 8 years of elementary school! As the eldest of 11 children, Tim was responsible for helping with farm chores and milking cows. He learned management skills by delegating jobs to his younger siblings. Tim was a mentor, not in words, but by example. He taught his siblings the value of hard work and education.

Tim was a leader in high school organizations; National Honor Society, student council and letterman's club, FFA and Key Club.

Tim’s degree and his farm/agricultural background made him a perfect candidate to pursue his lifetime career with National Farmers Organization (NFO) in Corning, Iowa. In addition to finding his career, he met and married his wife of 51 years, Kathy Seaton. Tim and Kathy have three grown children and four grandchildren. 

He has continued to serve in leadership roles though out his life including President of the Adam's County, Iowa, Extension Council for 10 years, Chairman of one of the county's political parties for more than 30 years. And an active member of his community’s Rotary Club, at times serving in the role of President.

After three years in the NFO Specialty Crop Department, He became the Director of Specialty Crop Marketing. In 1986, Tim became the Director of Operations for Grain Marketing (pinto beans, sunflowers, millet, soy beans, corn and wheat). When the NFO moved their offices to Ames, Iowa, Tim commuted 130 miles one way, twice a week, for the next 3 years. In 2003 Tim was named Executive Director of a grant funded by Ag Connect, in Lenox Iowa, matching beginning farmers with equity farmers. These grants include one day seminars in 15 different states. Tim is sometimes the moderator or speaker, educating first time farmers on how to market their milk, cattle, grain and organic grain.

 After working as a NFO’s top negotiator for more than 10 years of organic grain contracts, Tim was named Director of their Grain Marketing Department in 2015. With both Ag Connect and the NFO, Tim has led successful efforts to win grants for beginning farmers worth more than $1.5 million.

Though he could retire, Tim continues to work for NFO 3-4 hours per day as Beginning Farmer Consultant.

Jean Dyer Reese was a 1941 graduate of Wisconsin Dells High School, 82 years ago. She was one of two winners of the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award. The name of our high school and the city had been changed from Kilbourn to Wisconsin Dells just 10 years before.

She followed in the footsteps of her great aunt Ruth Marshall, mother Ruth Bennett Dyer, and aunt Miriam Bennett by attending Rockford College and earning a degree in sociology.

She married Oliver Reese, Jr in 1945 and together they raised three daughters: Debbie Kinder, Betsy Grant, and Lisa Hendrickson.

For many years she operated Bennett’s Gift Shop selling high-end souvenirs, which included Ho-Chunk basketry, Blenko glass, and jewelry.

Jean served as Girl Scout leader for Betsy’s troop for 12 years. Some of her scouts are here to celebrate their 55th Reunion of the class of 1968. All of her daughters were Girl Scouts.

Jean was a lifelong member of Holy Cross Episcopal Church serving as a Sunday School teacher, vestry and altar guild member, and director of the annual Christmas pageant.

Jean was a granddaughter of landscape photographer H.H. Bennett.  Through the efforts Bennett’s wife Evaline, daughters Ruth and Miriam, granddaughter Jean and her husband, Oliver, the photographic studio operated continuously from 1865 until 1999. The family worked to preserve his artifacts and bring Bennett’s legacy to the public’s attention. In 1999, Jean and Oliver later donated the museum and entire collection to the Wisconsin State Historical Society.

As a founding member of the Dells Country Historical Society, Jean was a principal author of many chapters of Others Before You: The History of Wisconsin Dells Country, published in 1995.  She helped to ensure that personal historical accounts were preserved by tape-recording interviews with many of the community elders.

Although Jean passed away in 2013, the impact she had on our community and the preservation of its history, will be felt for years and years to come. This community, and the way we remember it, would not be the same without her contributions.