event calendar
100 South 2nd Street, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin . FIND US ON FACEBOOK!
2025
Thursday, November 13 @ 6pm: A Soldier's Story: Jack Holum's WWII Letters presented by Barb Bartz. FREE; all welcome. Registration not required. Scroll down for more info.
Wednesday, November 19 @ 1pm: HALF HOUR HISTORY Inspiring Stories from Female Veterans presented by Girl Scout Lily Wahl. FREE; all welcome. Registration not required. Scroll down for more info.
Wednesday, December 17 @ 1pm: HALF HOUR HISTORY Hygge, Health, and Happiness presented by UW-Madison Professor Claus Andersen in partnership with Badger Talks. FREE; all welcome. Registration not required. More info coming soon.
Thursday, November 13 @ 6pm: A Soldier's Story: Jack Holum's WWII Letters presented by Barb Bartz. FREE; all welcome. Registration not required. Scroll down for more info.
Wednesday, November 19 @ 1pm: HALF HOUR HISTORY Inspiring Stories from Female Veterans presented by Girl Scout Lily Wahl. FREE; all welcome. Registration not required. Scroll down for more info.
Wednesday, December 17 @ 1pm: HALF HOUR HISTORY Hygge, Health, and Happiness presented by UW-Madison Professor Claus Andersen in partnership with Badger Talks. FREE; all welcome. Registration not required. More info coming soon.
A Soldier's Story: Jack Holum's WWII Letters
Presented by Barb Bartz
Thursday, November 13 @ 6pm
Barbara Bartz will present “A Soldier’s Story: Jack Holum’s WWII Letters” on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at Mount Horeb’s downtown Driftless Historium (100 S 2nd St). Jack Holum was drafted to serve his country the December after he graduated from Mount Horeb High School, and he was killed in action just fifteen months later at age nineteen.
Presenter Barb Bartz will discuss Jack’s life and military career, as gleaned from over 275 letters he wrote home to friends and family during his deployment.
Holum was drafted into the United States Army in December 1943 and died in Germany on March 24, 1945. Following basic and infantry training stateside, Holum was assigned to the Battalion Headquarters of the 120th Infantry Regiment of the 30th Infantry Division. On behalf of the Mount Horeb Area Historical Society, Volunteer Bartz transcribed Holum’s expansive assemblage of sometimes mundane, often humorous, always touching correspondence—carefully compiled and saved by his family, recovered by a conscientious antiques dealer, and now a treasured collection within the MHAHS archive.
Bartz’s interest in history led her to MHAHS, where she took on the Holum transcription project with her signature diligence and reliability. Barb is a 1961 graduate of Mount Horeb High School. She went on to work for the State of Wisconsin for almost 39 years, “retiring” in 2001. She then spent the next decade as a retail associate at Hallmark, followed by another ten years at Duluth Trading Company’s Mount Horeb storefront—before retiring for a second time. A mother of three and grandmother of seven, Bartz also volunteers as the property manager at Evangelical Lutheran Church.
No reservations are necessary, and all are welcome to attend this FREE presentation. For more information on “A Soldier’s Story: Jack Holum’s WWII Letters,” call 608-437-6486 or email [email protected].
Presented by Barb Bartz
Thursday, November 13 @ 6pm
Barbara Bartz will present “A Soldier’s Story: Jack Holum’s WWII Letters” on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at Mount Horeb’s downtown Driftless Historium (100 S 2nd St). Jack Holum was drafted to serve his country the December after he graduated from Mount Horeb High School, and he was killed in action just fifteen months later at age nineteen.
Presenter Barb Bartz will discuss Jack’s life and military career, as gleaned from over 275 letters he wrote home to friends and family during his deployment.
Holum was drafted into the United States Army in December 1943 and died in Germany on March 24, 1945. Following basic and infantry training stateside, Holum was assigned to the Battalion Headquarters of the 120th Infantry Regiment of the 30th Infantry Division. On behalf of the Mount Horeb Area Historical Society, Volunteer Bartz transcribed Holum’s expansive assemblage of sometimes mundane, often humorous, always touching correspondence—carefully compiled and saved by his family, recovered by a conscientious antiques dealer, and now a treasured collection within the MHAHS archive.
Bartz’s interest in history led her to MHAHS, where she took on the Holum transcription project with her signature diligence and reliability. Barb is a 1961 graduate of Mount Horeb High School. She went on to work for the State of Wisconsin for almost 39 years, “retiring” in 2001. She then spent the next decade as a retail associate at Hallmark, followed by another ten years at Duluth Trading Company’s Mount Horeb storefront—before retiring for a second time. A mother of three and grandmother of seven, Bartz also volunteers as the property manager at Evangelical Lutheran Church.
No reservations are necessary, and all are welcome to attend this FREE presentation. For more information on “A Soldier’s Story: Jack Holum’s WWII Letters,” call 608-437-6486 or email [email protected].
HALF-HOUR HISTORY
Inspiring Stories from Female Veterans
Presented by Girl Scout Lily Wahl
Wednesday, November 19 @ 1pm
Join us on November 19, 2025, at 1 pm for the Driftless Historium’s next Half-Hour History program: “Inspiring Stories from Female Veterans: A Girl Scout Gold Award Project.”
Lily Wahl, a MHHS senior and Ambassador Girl Scout will share her Gold Award project. She has interviewed five local women; Marny Skindrud, Marta Darrow, Mandie Eagan, Becky Russano, and Laura Mason, each of whom has a distinct, inspiring story. Lily’s goal is to capture and share these Veterans’ experiences so others can appreciate their service and learn from the challenges they overcame.
The Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. It requires Girl Scouts in grades 9 through 12 complete a project that provides a lasting impact on their community.
Lily Wahl has been a Girl Scout for 12 years. For her Gold Award project, she chose to write a children’s book encompassing stories from several Mount Horeb female veterans. This project coincides with her interest in English, which she plans to continue studying at a four-year university. Besides writing, she enjoys running and has been a varsity member of the Mount Horeb Cross Country team throughout her entire high school career. Completing her Gold Award project has allowed Lily to use her love for writing to benefit her community, and she hopes that the unique perspectives of Mount Horeb’s veterans will inspire others.
Half-Hour History is a monthly afternoon lecture series featuring engaging presentations on local and regional history. These FREE programs are open to all and take place at the Driftless Historium at 1:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.
For more information, call 608-437-6486 or email [email protected]. Up next: “Hygge, Health, and Happiness” presented by UW Madison Professor Claus Andersen in partnership with Badger Talks on December 17, 2025.
Inspiring Stories from Female Veterans
Presented by Girl Scout Lily Wahl
Wednesday, November 19 @ 1pm
Join us on November 19, 2025, at 1 pm for the Driftless Historium’s next Half-Hour History program: “Inspiring Stories from Female Veterans: A Girl Scout Gold Award Project.”
Lily Wahl, a MHHS senior and Ambassador Girl Scout will share her Gold Award project. She has interviewed five local women; Marny Skindrud, Marta Darrow, Mandie Eagan, Becky Russano, and Laura Mason, each of whom has a distinct, inspiring story. Lily’s goal is to capture and share these Veterans’ experiences so others can appreciate their service and learn from the challenges they overcame.
The Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. It requires Girl Scouts in grades 9 through 12 complete a project that provides a lasting impact on their community.
Lily Wahl has been a Girl Scout for 12 years. For her Gold Award project, she chose to write a children’s book encompassing stories from several Mount Horeb female veterans. This project coincides with her interest in English, which she plans to continue studying at a four-year university. Besides writing, she enjoys running and has been a varsity member of the Mount Horeb Cross Country team throughout her entire high school career. Completing her Gold Award project has allowed Lily to use her love for writing to benefit her community, and she hopes that the unique perspectives of Mount Horeb’s veterans will inspire others.
Half-Hour History is a monthly afternoon lecture series featuring engaging presentations on local and regional history. These FREE programs are open to all and take place at the Driftless Historium at 1:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.
For more information, call 608-437-6486 or email [email protected]. Up next: “Hygge, Health, and Happiness” presented by UW Madison Professor Claus Andersen in partnership with Badger Talks on December 17, 2025.
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Check back soon for more community programs and fun events!
Check back soon for more community programs and fun events!
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Past News and Events
Past News and Events