Commentary - pcgazette.com

Commentary
pcgazette.com

Inside the Portage County line

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
REMARKABLE LADY: Theresabelle Leary died Wednesday, Jan. 3. She was a longtime reporter at the Stevens Point Daily Journal, when "Daily" was still part of the title. She worked there from 1932 to 1967.

I was still in college when I met Theresabelle, who was always pleasant and helpful. She had retired by the time I started working at the Journal, but always came back for the Christmas party. She was always willing to tell stories about reporting to a young reporter.

Sherman Sword, a longtime editor at the Journal who retired in the 1980s, said Theresabelle "lead a remarkable life."

"She covered anything, she asked to cover whatever the need was. Theresabelle was always ready to do something," he said.

"The driving force behind her work was to get today's news in that day's paper," he said. "She would sit at her typewriter and pound away until deadline, whether it was obituaries, weddings or meetings of groups in town. Whatever there was, she covered it, dramatic events, college and high school plays, anything.

"Whenever you've got a dependable person like her on the staff, it helps," Sword said. "You know if she gets the assignment, she will get it done. She was a remarkable person. She helped make the paper respected by our readers."

Bill Strasser, a longtime wire editor at the Journal who handled The Associated Press stories until retiring in the early 1990s, said Theresabelle "was a no-nonsense, good worker," adding "she was fun to work with."

Whenever it got slack in the office for her, she would turn around and ask if anyone had anything for her to do, he said. "She was very reliable. I never knew her to shy away from anything. She could be a tough cookie in dealing with some people."

Strasser said, "On election night, she was great. She knew a lot of people and got the story."

Theresabelle truly did cover everything. In the days when women mostly covered "society" news, she stepped outside the boundaries. She liked telling this cub reporter about the sports events, something unheard of in those days, but an accepted practice now.

Theresabelle, we'll miss you. Thankfully, you left a lot of people with plenty of memories and a legacy through the stories you wrote.



	Inside the Portage County line By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette REMARKABLE LADY: Theresabelle Leary died Wednesday, Jan. 3. She was a longtime reporter at the Stevens Point Daily Journal, when "Daily" was still part of the title. She worked there from 1932 to 1967. I was still in college when I met Theresabelle, who was always pleasant and helpful. She had retired by the time I started working at the Journal, but always came back for the Christmas party. She was always willing to tell stories about reporting to a young reporter. Sherman Sword, a longtime editor at the Journal who retired in the 1980s, said Theresabelle "lead a remarkable life." "She covered anything, she asked to cover whatever the need was. Theresabelle was always ready to do something," he said. "The driving force behind her work was to get today's news in that day's paper," he said. "She would sit at her typewriter and pound away until deadline, whether it was obituaries, weddings or meetings of groups in town. Whatever there was, she covered it, dramatic events, college and high school plays, anything. "Whenever you've got a dependable person like her on the staff, it helps," Sword said. "You know if she gets the assignment, she will get it done. She was a remarkable person. She helped make the paper respected by our readers." Bill Strasser, a longtime wire editor at the Journal who handled The Associated Press stories until retiring in the early 1990s, said Theresabelle "was a no-nonsense, good worker," adding "she was fun to work with." Whenever it got slack in the office for her, she would turn around and ask if anyone had anything for her to do, he said. "She was very reliable. I never knew her to shy away from anything. She could be a tough cookie in dealing with some people." Strasser said, "On election night, she was great. She knew a lot of people and got the story." Theresabelle truly did cover everything. In the days when women mostly covered "society" news, she stepped outside the boundaries. She liked telling this cub reporter about the sports events, something unheard of in those days, but an accepted practice now. Theresabelle, we'll miss you. Thankfully, you left a lot of people with plenty of memories and a legacy through the stories you wrote.