SPARTA News and Notes: March 2023

The purposes of this Association are to:

The purposes of this Association are to:
A. Promote and protect the interests, rights, and welfare of the retired educators of the Stevens Point area in conjunction with the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA).
B. Monitor and work to improve the benefits for retired educators and other members of the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS).
C. Encourage Association members to maintain membership in the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA).
D. Develop working relationships with local service organizations whose main emphasis is on aging groups and with organizations sharing goals similar to those of the Association.
E. Inform Association members about and advocate for educational and other relevant societal issues.
F. Inform members of activities in the area provided for senior citizens.
G. Encourage Association members to be active participants in community affairs on an individual basis.

Friday, March 24, 2023

On This Rock Was SPARTA Built

Elbert J. Rackow

April 12, 1927 - March 21, 2023

Elbert J. Rackow, 95, 512 W Cleveland St, Marshfield, Wisconsin, died on March 21, 2023, in Marshfield.

He was born on April 12, 1927, at Plymouth, Wisconsin, to Louis and Ruth (DeSmidt) Rackow.

Elbert and Hulda Diringer were married on October 15, 1948, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany. Elbert retired on June 9, 1990, from teaching Social Studies at Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH) for 22 years. Prior to teaching at SPASH Elbert served over 21 years on active duty in the U. S. Army. During that time he served two tours of duty in Germany and two tours of duty in Korea. He also served as an Alderperson in the City of Stevens Point for 14 years ending in 2005.

He is survived by his daughter, Helen C. Johannes (Richard), Marshfield; two grandchildren, Paul Johannes (Marie), Marshfield, and Andrea Johannes (Vincent), France; and two great-grandsons Job and Judah Johannes.

He was predeceased by his father Louis and his mother Ruth; Hulda, his wife of 71 years; his sister, Jane E. Bergemann (Gerald), Marion, Iowa; and his brother, Martin L. Rackow (Noreen), Janesville.

His hobbies included fishing, deer hunting, photography, and collecting books for the semi-annual SPARTA book sale. Elbert graduated from Merrill High School in 1945. At the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point he earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education in 1968 and a Master of Science in Teaching History in 1970. Elbert helped ensure that teachers, whether actively teaching or retired, were treated fairly in his work with the Stevens Point Area Teachers’ Association, the Uni-Serve Council, and the Stevens Point Area Retired Teachers’ Association.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Stevens Point Area Retired Teachers’ Association (SPARTA) Scholarship Fund and/or the UW-SP Foundation.

A public time of visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Boston Funeral Home. A private burial will be held in Forest Cemetery in Stevens Point.