Colfax Commercial Club seeking nominations for 2023 J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Commercial Club is once again seeking nominations for the J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award.
The J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award for 2023 will be the seventh awarded by the Colfax Commercial Club.
The award is intended to provide recognition to an individual either living in Colfax or in the surrounding area who has made the Colfax community a better place.
“We are seeking another of our unsung heroes in the community for the 2023 award,” said Mark Johnson, president of the Colfax Commercial Club.
“We want to hear about that special person who should be recognized for what they do to help our community,” he said.
The J.D. Simons Award reads, “In honor of your dedication to ‘all things Colfax’ and your outstanding community involvement, your willingness to volunteer your time across many organizations and for many individuals, and most importantly — for making Colfax a better place to live.”
J.D. Simons
J.D. Simons is recognized as the founder of Colfax in 1864.
Newspaper articles published in the Colfax Messenger prior to and after his death in 1918 indicate that Simons was a kind man, well loved by many, who was a business owner, an entrepreneur, and a proud and a staunch supporter of the Village of Colfax.
Placing and dedicating a gravestone for J.D. Simons at Hill Grove Cemetery next to the final resting place of Mrs. Simons was part of the Colfax Sesquicentennial Celebration in 2014.
To this day, it remains a mystery as to why there was no gravestone at Hill Grove Cemetery for J.D. Simons.
Simons died in Washington state when the milk truck he was riding on collided with another vehicle and overturned. His body was brought back to Colfax for burial.
Awards
The first J.D. Simons Award was presented in 2016 to Troy Knutson, author of “Looking Through the Lens.” Knutson has devoted all of his adult life to collecting the photographs and other memorabilia included in his book, published for the Colfax Sesquicentennial in 2014.
The second J.D. Simons Award in 2017 was presented to Ernie and Geri Bates for their dedicated devotion to the Caring Ministries Food Pantry, the Colfax Community Cares Food Pantry and the Support for Sunday backpack program for school children.
The third J.D. Simons Award in 2018 was presented to Mona Thorson, who has served tirelessly in a variety of organizations over many years, including the Colfax Woman’s Club, at her church, Colfax Lutheran, with the Red Cedar Sounds Sweet Adelines Chorus, and as “Daisy the Elf” when her husband, Gary Thorson, dons his Santa Claus suit to bring the magic of Santa to children in the area.
The fourth J.D. Simons award in 2019 was presented to Claudia and Kyle Kressin, the now-retired owners of Kyle’s Market in Colfax. Kyle’s Market employs local students and works around their school schedules. The grocery store also sponsors community events like the Easter Egg drop, donates food and prizes for groups and organizations, and allows bake sales, cookie sales and brat sales at the grocery store to raise money for non-profit organizations.
The fifth J.D. Simons award in 2020 went to Susan Hill, who grew up in Colfax and is the owner of the Tapestry Trunk Bed and Breakfast.
Hill has devoted countless hours to volunteer efforts around the community for the American Legion Auxiliary (she is the vice-president and the historian), the Colfax Municipal Building Restoration Group, at the former Colfax Health and Rehabilitation Center, at her church, as the curator of the Colfax History Room in the Colfax Municipal Building and as a member of the Hill Grove Cemetery Committee.
Hill also has generously shared her many collections through presentations at the Colfax Health and Rehabilitation Center, at the Merry Mixers senior citizens meetings, and at events she has held at the Tapestry Trunk.
The sixth J.D. Simons award for 2021 was presented to Anne Jenson, the owner of A Little Slice of Italy on Main Street in Colfax.
Jenson has served on the Colfax Village Board for about 10 years.
According to the nomination, “Annie is a hard-working, self-employed business owner of a well-loved hometown restaurant, with some of the best pizza in the area, not to mention the ice cream. Annie takes her business to heart and works with members of the community every time they ask.”
As an example, the nomination mentions Jenson’s donation of ice cream coupons for all the children who took part in Vacation Bible School at Colfax Lutheran and for children attending Sunday School during the year.
The seventh J.D. Simons award for 2022 was presented to Michelle Knutson, wife of Troy Knutson.
Michelle was instrumental in helping Troy with two books, “Looking Through the Lens” and Troy and Michelle’s book “The 1958 Colfax Tornado,” published in June of 2019 as part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series.
Michelle also assists with the Colfax Elevator Commission thrift sales at the fairgrounds in August, with fund raisers for the Colfax Municipal Building Restoration Group, and she was the impetus behind the successful fund raising efforts for — and completion of — the project to place stone pavers at the Highground in Neillsville in September of 2022 in honor of the Russell-Toycen American Legion Post 131 of Colfax, the American Legion Auxiliary and the Gold Star Mothers of Colfax.
She is an active member, too, of Colfax Lutheran, and has served on the church council, as Sunday School superintendent, provides piano accompaniment, reads scripture during worship services, and prepares coffee and refreshment for after-worship fellowship.
Michelle has provided food and comfort for the elderly and homebound people of Colfax as well.
Nominations
To nominate someone for the J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award, you can print off a nomination form from the Colfax Commercial Club’s website at www.colfaxcommercialclub.com. Click on the link in the menu across the top of the page for the J.D. Simons Award.
Or if you prefer to write a letter, tell the Colfax Commercial Club who you are nominating and why you believe that person should be the recipient of the J.D. Simons Award. Tell us about the person’s community involvement and how he or she has made the community a better place.
Nominations for the J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award can be mailed to the Colfax Commercial Club at P.O. Box 417, Colfax WI 54730.
You can also e-mail your nomination to Mark Johnson at MJI2020@yahoo.com.
Nominations for the J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award will be accepted until February 1.
After the winner has been selected and the award has been presented, a story and photograph will be published in the Colfax Messenger.
