Bio: Kearns, Marguerite, Woman of The Year (B&PW Award - 1981)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Kearns, Henchen, Woelffer, Paulson, Wahl, Palmer

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 10/22/1981

Woman of The Year, Marguerite Kearns (B&PW Award - 1981)

Marguerite Kearns, a well-known, retired businesswoman and a person who has been active in community affairs, has been selected for “Woman of the Year” honors.

Presenting the honor is the Neillsville Business and Professional Women’s Club, (B&PW). This is the second annual presentation of the award; last year’s winner was Clara Henchen. Mrs. Kearns will be in the spotlight on Tuesday evening, October 27, when the local B&PW gathers for the “Woman of the Year” gala.

Mrs. Kearns and her husband John moved to Neillsville in 1923. They bought the V.C. Woelffer Drugstore in April of that year. She continued to operate the store after his sudden death from a heart attack in April of 1935.

The personal tragedy left her with three children to raise, all in various elementary school grades. Though grief-stricken, the event did not abate her intense enthusiasm to life, which is still evident. When talking about this time in her life, she said, “I had wonderful relatives who helped me with the children, so I could continue to run the store.”

People who were teenagers during the days of the Kearn’s Drugstore remember it as a spot where they could drop in for Cokes, malteds or ice cream cones. As one person put it, “It was a place we could go to after school and have our parents feel we were safe there.”

One person remembers that a man, Art Paulson, who is now a resident of Memorial Home, and was an employee at the drugstore, enjoyed opening the door graciously for customers.

Passion For Purple

Some remember Marge as the woman who wore such beautiful lavender-colored dresses with matching hats. When Interviewed, she laughing admitted her passion for violet hues.

Marge retired from business in 1966 when she sold the drugstore to Pat and Robert Wahl. But she never retired from life. She continues to be active in community affairs. Her involvements included two terms as director of the Chamber of Commerce; director of the Clark County Taxpayers group for several years; membership on an advisory board to the Neillsville School Board when the new high school was built; director of the Community Chest; and membership on the old hospital board in 1952 and continuing on the new board until 1973.

Marge emphasized that the “new” hospital board was the one which was instrumental in building Memorial Hospital, Memorial Home and the Neillsville Clinic. She also stated that she had “enjoyed tremendously serving on the Chamber of Commerce during the Centennial Celebration.”

She was appointed by the city council in 1947 to the board of the Neillsville Free Public Library and still serves. A librarian stated that Mrs. Kearns was very progressive. She said, “She always was pleased about any program or idea we think of just to get people into the library. Mrs. Kearns is hopeful that once inside the door, they might venture to look at the books.”

Avid Reader

Mrs. Kearns is herself a voracious reader. Her desire to introduce the joys of reading to children and adults probably goes back to her days as a teacher. She graduated from the Platteville Normal School and taught in Neillsville, St. Paul and in Idaho and Wyoming schools. In Neillsville, she helped put on band concerts and other programs to get rural youngsters interested in continuing on to high school.

During her teaching career she decided to attend the A.N. Palmer School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and became a supervisor in teaching the Palmer Method of Writing. She introduced this method in the Raymond, Wyoming Public Schools.

Raymond, Wyoming, is where teacher Marge met her beau, John P. Kearns, who was a pharmacist in that community. They were married in May 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia. They then bought a drugstore in Portland, Oregon. Two years later they made the move back to Wisconsin.

Marge is a charter member of the Neillsville Business and Professional Women’s club. (The balance of this article was not found. Dmk)