We are always excited when new members become part of our community. They each add a new dimension to life at Memorial UCC.  Here are the people who have joined in 2011. You can meet people who joined in 2010 and 2009 by clicking on the years. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

July 17, 2011

Jean and Walter Heinold moved to Fitchburg about three years ago from Kenosha because their daughter wanted them to be close by as their grandchildren were growing up. They live in The Crossing condo develop just a bit to the east of here off of Lacy Road.

They lived most of their adult lives in the Chicago area. Walter was a mechanic at Abbott Laboratories in North Chicago and Jean was an executive assistant there. They had four children, but their son Bobby was killed by a drunk driver at age 14. Their daughter Peg is the one who lives in Fitchburg with her family. They have a son in Chicago and a daughter in Evanston, Ill.

They have been in Presbyterian congregations for most of their lives, but found Memorial and liked the community as well as the proximity to their home. They like to spend time with family – not surprising for a couple who made a big move to be with family. Jean is an avid reader and Walter swims for exercise.

June 19,2011

Jason and Lee Jankoski met at UW-Madison while Lee was an undergraduate and Jason was working and attending graduate school part-time.  They have been married for 6 years and are parents to Jasmine, who was born November 11, 2010.  They also have a dog named Fritz, who is a shi tzu / bichon frise mix. They now call him their second child.

Jason graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a management degree and is the Assistant Dean for Human Resources at the UW-Madison School of Business.  He enjoys golfing, skiing, and cheering on the Badgers! 

Lee graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Political Science and Russian Language.  She works as a patent assistant for the law firm Foley & Lardner.  Her hobbies include interior decorating, working out and reading (particularly the Harry Potter series). 

They both enjoy traveling and movies of all genres.

They say they “are looking forward to being part of this wonderful church community that will help surround our daughter with progressive and open-minded Christian values.”
 

May 8, 2011

Mary and Glenn Heckard had lived in the Madison area for a while before they moved a few years ago to Galena, Illinois, but after a while, the lure of this area drew them back. So they settled into The Crossing condominium development down Lacy Road a bit and then discovered that Memorial was not that far away.

They have been active members at First Lutheran Church in Stoughton for nearly 20 years except for that time in Galena. And in Galena, they were very active in the Methodist Church there, so we are thrilled that they are now settling into our community at Memorial.

Mary is a massage therapist and part-time nanny. Glenn retired from IBM and started his own desktop publishing company in 1993. He like to golf and to work on photography and geneology. Mary likes spending time with family, taking fitness classes and reading. They have two grown daughters, Margie and Ruth, who are both in the Madison area.

April 17, 2011

Lisa and Larry Fruit both grew up in Wisconsin – Lisa in Green Bay, Larry in Richland Center. Larry did his undergraduate work at Edgewood College, then earned his MBA from UW-Whitewater. Lisa did her undergrad work at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.

They have been married for 27.5 years and have a son, Paul, a UW grad who is completing an Americorps project with the Red Cross in Oshkosh. They also have a golden retriever named Nelson.

Since 2000, Lisa and Larry have been active in the area of alcohol and substance abuse treatment. They have been the owners of an outpatient agency since 2004. Most of their clients are from the criminal justice system or are referrals from social service agencies.

Amy and Matt Kruse: Matt grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. Amy grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Both came to Wisconsin to attend Lawrence University, where Matt majored in Computer Science and History and Amy majored in English.

After graduating, they both moved to Madison to take jobs at Epic, which makes software for the healthcare industry. Matt still works at Epic as a Technical Services Engineer and Technical Coordinator. Amy is now working in an administrative position at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundatino, or WARF, the organization that patents and licenses discoveries made at the university.

They were married in 2007. Matt enjoys cooking, genealogy, fishing, and tabletop gaming. Amy likes baking, spending time on the bike trails, doing craft projects, and planning trips. They both enjoy gardening and camping.

 
February 27, 2011

Mike and Jan Klawitter were set up on a blind date almost 13 years ago and will be married for 10 years this September. Both Mike and Jan work in communications -- Mike at UW Health and Jan at the State Laboratory of Hygiene at UW-Madison.
 
They like reading, movies and watching hockey. They have both gotten involved here in a variety of ways. Mike helps run sound for our services and is a liturgist. Jan is chairing the worship committee and helping with communications for the outreach committee. And they have pitched in on numerous other projects here.
 
They started coming to Memorial in May of last year and are very happy to have found such a welcoming faith community that fits their belief system.
 

Kate Protcor is an attorney in Madison. She sings in the choir and plays the bells. She also had the fascinating experience of review all the church Council minutes of the last 20 or so years to help us put together a current list of church policies. You might think she is already a long-time member, but she grew up in Pennsylvania and was off doing that college thing as her family settled into Memorial, so now she is formalizing her association with us.