Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Struensee, Murphy
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 8/07/2019
Archery Shop to Carry on Friend’s Legacy (2019)
Jeff Struensee of Neillsville has opened his own archery shop, “Widgy’s Outdoors.”
By Valorie Brecht
A local man has set his sights on serving the many hunters in the area.
Jeff Struensee has opened an archery pro shop on his property south of Neillsville. He opened the shop to help meet the needs of local outdoors enthusiasts; however, the business is also of personal significance to him.
For the past 15-plus years, Struensee worked for his good friend Mike Murphy, the owner of All Season Sports ‘n Archery in Neillsville.
After Murphy passed away this last February, the sports shop closed.
“There was another guy that was going to buy it and that deal fell through, so I felt the need to do it right away. The other driving factor is I like helping people and I feel there is a need,” said Struensee.
Struensee has always enjoyed hunting and the outdoors. He has shot bow since he was a freshman in high school.
“I want to carry on Mike’s passion as well as mine,” he said.
Struensee named his new shop Widgy’s Outdoors. The name too has special significance.
“My little three-year-old daughter, when she was three or four at the time – we had a son named Whitaker and she could not pronounce his name, so she called him ‘Widgy’” said Struensee.
Whitaker was killed in an accident last summer when he was two years old. Struensee named the shop in memory of his son.
Struensee has set up the shop on his property at N1020 Borglin Avenue, about eight miles south of Neillsville. He hopes that being closer to Hatfield and Black River Falls will attract some customers from that direction.
In addition, “Being that it’s mainly hunters that come in to do stuff, I feel like being out in the country is actually a better setting. It’s more relaxed,” said Struensee.
Struensee will also have a shooting range, so hunters will get to try out their bows and shoot anywhere from zero to 100 yards.
Struensee plans to sell Mathews, Gearhead and Bowtech bows and Ravin, Killer Instinct and CenterPoint crossbows. He will tune and fix bows. He also plans to sell guns in the future. Struensee said he will be able to order items for customers if he doesn’t carry the specific item they want.
“Even though it is a small shop, I’m going to try to do my best to accommodate everybody and their needs,” he said.
Struensee is looking forward to growing his business and sharing his passion.
There will be a grand opening this Saturday, Aug. 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with food, refreshments, raffles and door prizes. Willie, the owner of Bear Scents LLC, will speak on bear scents.
For more information, call 715.937.6473.
