LINOTYPE — Lyle Christianson seated at the Intertype machine at the Colfax Messenger. —photo submitted
The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation will honor the memory of 12 former publishers including Lyle Christianson of Colfax. The 12 former publishers will be honored during the 2019 Memorial Pylon Ceremony in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
The ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 7, at Trees for Tomorrow, 519 Sheridan St., in Eagle River. A welcome reception will begin at 11 a.m.
Ever since the Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) members purchased the Press Forest south of Eagle River in 1958, they have been honoring the memory of those who have contributed to the advancement of journalism in Wisconsin.
At first, members planted a tree as a memorial to each publisher, affiliate or friend of the industry who had died, but it quickly became clear there would not be enough land to sustain such an effort. Then, the names of deceased member publishers were printed on press plates and hung from wooden structures.
In 2015, a more permanent structure was built. Now, the WNA Memorial Grove features five granite pylons and several benches that provide visitors with a place to reflect on the contributions of the nearly 600 publishers engraved on the monument.
Christianson was born in Colfax on October 18, 1935, to Elmer and Bessie (Olson) Christianson. He began working at the Messenger in 1953 while still in High School, for Ken and Helen Reed and would purchase the Messenger from the Reeds in 1968. Lyle and his wife Inez owned and operated the Colfax Messenger until 1995. The Christiansons also owned and operated the Boyceville Press Reporter for a time. Lyle passed away on September 4th of last year.
Other 2019 honorees include Florence J. Berglund of the Loyal Tribune-Record-Gleaner; Charles “Tom” Coe, Whitewater Register; Janet Catherine Flaherty, Milton Courier; Bernadette Ann Friedell, Washburn County Register at Shell Lake, and Lee Edward Henschel, Blair Press who worked for Lyle Christianson at the Colfax Messenger.
Others include Jeffery L. Hovind, The (Waukesha) Freeman and Merrill Courier; Clara G. Keenan, Tomahawk Leader; Leland H. “Korny” Krueger, Marion Advertiser; Jerald Dennis Losness, Cornell Courier; Audrey Reichert Lyke, The Ripon Commonwealth Press; and Robert A. Toerpe, Washington Island Observer.
The memorial pylon is open to the public and the ceremony will be held during the annual WNA Trees Retreat.
