|
Meet Me at the Corner
A former newspaper reporter who has lived in Franklin for nearly 40 years, Marjorie is active in several Franklin and Hales Corners organizations.
Mary Lou Stover -- Editor, Mentor, Friend
By Marjorie Pagel
Tuesday, Feb 10 2009, 10:32 AM
I have been mourning the death of a very special woman and a good friend – Mary Lou Stover – since learning about her death last week Thursday. She died unexpectedly at her home on Wednesday, February 4th. A long time ago, as my editor at "The Hub," she taught me we don't say someone dies "suddenly" because everyone dies suddenly. It was one of many lessons in journalism I learned from her, a woman dedicated to her profession, who earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at the University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign.
My own background as a high school English teacher hadn't provided me with all the important tools a journalism graduate has, but I learned quickly, with each story submitted and published. In those days, back in the 70s, when the Hub and other suburban newspapers were published in Oak Creek, I typed my stories out on an IBM Model D with carbon ribbon, because we reporters who worked out of our homes were taught to always keep a back-up copy. I used my carbon to compare word by word, punctuation mark by punctuation mark, to note the difference between the edited, published version and the one I had submitted. At the beginning of my apprenticeship, the copy I submitted came back with all of Mary Lou’s editorial markings on it – including many deletions – so I would learn how to tighten my writing style and to follow the conventions of the Chicago Manual of Style.
There are at least two of those original manuscripts saved in a manila folder and filed in a standard, three-drawer filing cabinet that predated computer files and folders. One is my first article published in The Hub and I was so proud that my feature idea ("Kids in The Carol") about three local boys who had roles in The Christmas Carol had been published. With the photograph of the boys included, it took up a full page!
Another marked copy that still makes me smile when I see it is the story I submitted about Mary Belle Potter, a Hales Corners ballet teacher who served as wardrobe mistress for the Milwaukee Ballet Company. I had interviewed Mary Belle on site, and my notebook and tape recorder were both overflowing with facts and quotes I wanted to include. And then I thought I would make it more interesting by incorporating some fictional devices I had learned in short story writing. The feature article I turned in to Mary Lou was much longer than the preferred length for such articles. Because we were both trying to meet the publication deadlne, Mary Lou edited the story down to a reasonable length. The next day she returned the original with a profusion of red marks, large X’s over the deleted sections and this admonition: "Marjorie, if you ever send in another novel, I'll send it right back to you."
Editors are very busy people, and I soon learned that if I had a question for Mary Lou, it was safest to address it on a Friday or, at latest, Monday because Tuesdays and Wednesdays were crazy in the newsroom and layout room. As the Community Newspaper enterprise grew, under publisher Duane Dunham, Mary Lou assumed more responsibilities for many communities besides Hales Corners, Franklin, Muskego, Greendale, Greenfield and Oak Creek. She really didn't have time for small talk, and if she called me on the phone about something, she got right to the point and – as soon as the particular reason for her call was taken care of – the phone went "clunk." All of us reporters soon learned that Mary Lou wasn't mad when she hung up the phone without saying goodbye – that was just her way.
Over the years, those of us who worked closely with Mary Lou, found the warmth and sense of humor that lay underneath this "all business" editor. There was a group of us women from the southwest suburban area who became friends and supported each other as we strived to meet our weekly deadlines. At least every month or two we would go out for lunch, and soon became known as "The Paper Dolls." Two of the "Dolls" first hired by Duane Dunham were Vi Joy, of The Muskego Sun and Aline Cardimona, of Greendale Village Life. Jan Kowalski Ladewig, now of Arizona, played a similar role in Franklin. (Initially, the Franklin, Hales Corners and Greendale papers were all one: the Tri-Town Hub.)
There were a number of women reporters who joined us at these get-togethers from time to time, but in recent years, the Paper Dolls were Vi, Aline, Pat Dallman (the Sun) Sandy Snyder, Katy Galewski and me (all of the Hub) who (though feminists all) proudly took the name someone in the newsroom had dubbed us. Though some of us left reporting for other careers, we all proudly kept the "Paper Doll" name, and when Mary Lou retired, she became one of us too. We've been there for one another through death or divorce from spouses, to listen to one another talk about our children, grandchildren, parents, siblings. We've gotten together for lunch or dinner at restaurants or one another’s homes, we've oohed and aahed over travel photographs and even had a surprise bon voyage party for one of our members who was about to disembard on her first trip to Europe.
Mary Lou was a real lady; you'd never hear a vulgarity or mild profanity coming from her mouth. You'd never hear her gossip about another person or complain about anybody, and whatever political beliefs she had, she kept them to herself. In spite of rheumatoid arthritis, which was causing her to shrink in stature, twisting her spine and fingers into awkward shapes, she didn't complain and continued to do everything for herself whenever possible.
The last time I saw Mary Lou, other than at the funeral home in Waukesha on Sunday, was at the home of one of the Paper Dolls in January. As usual, she was elegantly dressed and was genuinely happy to see everyone again. She freely filled her plate with food at the buffet and enjoyed a glass or two of wine. We all talked about our Christmas celebrations. Mary Lou and her little dog Cody had driven to the family farm in Towanda, Illinois, to be with her three sisters and 10 nieces and nephews and their families.
There's more I could write about Mary Lou and the positive influence she has been in my life. But this is enough for now. This afternoon there will be a funeral service in Towanda and she will be buried alongside other family members there. Below I will include some links to websites where you can read more or make contributions to her "Guest Book".
I knew Mary Lou Stover first as my editor, then as my mentor, and finally – and most important – as a dear friend. She will be missed – and even though Mary Lou didn't like goodbyes, I need to say it to her here: Goodbye, Mary Lou. You will be remembered by me and so many others for a long, long time.
Note: The first link will let you see what others have said about Mary Lou in the memorial guest book. The second is from an interview by another reporter who talked about her when she was editor of the Abingdon Argus weekly newspaper in Abingdon, Illinois. (It was part of an oral history project about women in journalism.) The third is an obituary published in Illinois, and the last one is a death notice published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. http://www.legacy.com/News-Gazette/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=123814490http://wpcf.org/oralhistory/intvwees.htmlhttp://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/02/07/obits/135307.txthttp://www.legacy.com/jsonline/DeathNotices.asp?Page=SearchResults
|
|
