LARSEN (NBC 26) — Two women at the Winchester Historical Society published a book, “It Takes Strong Women,” with the goal of giving women a voice in the historical archives of the state.
- Bette Lee and Ellen Gomoll wrote “It Takes Strong Women” over the past year.
- The book tells the story of local women who have ties to the Winchester area, as well as women who have had a lasting influence on the state of Wisconsin.
- The proceeds from the book will pay for the Winchester Society’s new roof; the old roof was over 60 years old.
Last fall, Bette Lee, Janine Brantley and two other women held a cemetery walk at Grace Lutheran Cemetery in Winchester.
Each of them told the story of a different woman buried in the cemetery.
It was the first cemetery walk for the Winchester Historical Society since 2003, and the first walk to feature only women.
Almost 150 people came to the event.
Lee says the walk sparked the idea for a book– telling the stories of not only the women featured at the event, but others who have had lasting impacts on the community.
“Historically, women’s stories were not often told, much less recorded,” Gomoll writes in the book. “We realized we had incredible women right here in our community. Many of them were within the gates of beautiful Grace Lutheran Church of Winchester Cemetery.”
Gomoll and Lee spent over 1,000 hours writing and publishing the book, “It Takes Strong Women.”
“We’re giving them a voice, we’re really giving them a voice, because they had something to say,” Lee says.
The book has three parts: one part on the women from the cemetery walk, one part on stories of strong women from the community and one part on influential women in state history.
Community members wrote stories of their mothers, grandmothers or sisters, and provided photos for the book.
“We read stories of other autobiographies of famous people, movie stars, so why not just do your neighbor lady or your mother?” Brantley says.
The goal is to put the stories on the record.
“They lived, loved and survived, it was time to give them a voice,” Gomoll writes. “By telling each of these women’s stories, we honor all women.”
The money made from book sales will help pay for a new roof at the Winchester Historical Society’s library.
The 60-year-old roof had to be replaced earlier this year because of water damage, costing the non-profit $200,000 according to Lee.
Lee says the library contains over 7,000 books and is open to anyone from the public.
“The historical society is an integral part of our community here,” Brantley says. “We wish more people would come here and use our library facilities just to check out a book to read or look up their ancestry if they had a relative born and raised here.”
The historical society is open Thursday afternoon 3:30- 5 p.m. and Saturday morning 9-12 a.m.
The organization will be hosting a Winchester Elementary School class reunion next June. More information on their upcoming events can be found on their Facebook page.
“It Takes Strong Women” can be purchased at the WHS library at 5270 Ann St. Larsen or at Bluebird Boutique in Menasha.
