Bio: Jonkel, Mabel (90th Birthday - 1983)

Contact: Kathleen E. Englebretson

Email: kathy@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Jonkel, Kramer, Simonda, Schlender

----Source: Marshfield News-Herald (02 November 1983)

Word has been received here that friends of Mrs. Frank (Mabel) Jonkel; of Baraboo, formerly of the Neillsville/Columbia area, feted her a party for her 90th birthday the latter part of September. During the party Mrs. Jonkel played her favorite song from memory on the piano.

Daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. August (Susan Kramer Simonda) Schlender, at the age of 3 moved with her parents to the new community of Columbia, near Neillsville, where her father had a general store, a second store and a store at Dells Dam.

She grew up to become the postmaster for a number of years before she and Frank Jonkel were married. He is deceased.

Columbia is no longer a platted village but has gone to forest cropland with the exception of a few retirement homes.

When she was 80, Mrs. Jonkel wrote "Recollections of Columbia, Wisconsin" which was published in 1974, Information was garnered from her father's records, her scrapbooks and letters to friends and former residents. She still receives requests for her dwindling supply of books. Most libraries in this area have copies.

Mrs. Jonkel still cares for her home, answers correspondence and plays the piano.