Story Consultant and Illustrator
Heather Gayton
Heather Gayton is a fifth-grade teacher in Central Wisconsin where she resides on a small hobby farm with her young son. In addition to her European ancestors, she also proudly shares Native American heritage through her grandfather who grew up on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North/South Dakota. Nature and storytelling are important elements in Heather’s cultural background and fuels her a passion for children’s literature. She looks forward to writing and illustrating her own books for young readers in the future.
Story Consultant
Ani Janssen
Ani Janssen is a student in Seattle, Washington, where her interest in reading, story-telling and running were evident in her elementary years as an avid member of “Girls on the Run.” Ani became a quick supporter when her Grandfather asked her to describe the most compelling book she had ever read. Her enthusiastic response, about a young runner who overcame a serious injury to go on to a very productive and inspiring life, played a huge role in helping him frame the central story line for a children’s book he was planning – “Elianya’s Story.”
Historical Review
Peter Stark
Oconto County Historical Society
Peter A. Stark was born in Chicago, Illinois where he spent the first 19 years of his life. There, he attended Richard J. Daley College. After moving to Wisconsin in 1973, Stark has lived in or around the Oconto area where is co-owner of R.L. Hall Land Title Company, Inc. Beginning in the early 1980s he served on the Board of Directors and was later President of the Copper Culture Historical Society. The Society operates the Copper Culture Museum in Oconto. In 2000 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Oconto County Historical Society and served as its President from 2000 to 2009 and again from 2017 to present. Over the last four decades Stark has authored or co-authored numerous papers, print and digital articles on archeological and historical topics. He has led investigations of the Putciwikit, White Potato Lake Garden Beds, Armstrong Petroglyphs, Schuh’s Hill Field School, and Arndt Mill sites, among others.
Historical Review
Kitty Werner
Oconto County Historian
Kitty Werner grew up in Wisconsin and got her education at the College of Wooster in Ohio and UW-Stevens Point, then received a teacher's license at UW-Green Bay. She taught for the Oconto Unified School District in the elementary school. Her family was always interested in history and genealogy so it was natural for her get involved with the Oconto County Historical Society. After retiring she became the Oconto County Historian. Many interesting questions have been received leading to extensive research. Helping with that has been her involvement with Digitize Oconto County, a project to digitize all the Oconto County newspapers and make them searchable online for free. Kitty lives with her husband in Oconto.
Editor
Gene Medford
Gene Medford was a corporate communicator with a major American industrial corporation for some 40 years. After retiring, he joined Meadow Brook Farms Publishing LLC on a part-time basis as a researcher/writer/editor.