Local Authors - McMillan Memorial Library

Items marked * are owned by McMillan.

Alice McCaul Hayward, a long time resident,  wrote several historical titles:  The Story of Tomah*;  The Travel Class Story : 1898-1998*; and Centennial Story 1890-1990*. The last  is a history of McMillan Memorial Library and is now available on-line

Anna M. Allison is the author of  Buds of Thought* (1994), a poetry collection.

Very Rev. Father Stephen Anderl (1910- ) was a resident of Wisconsin Rapids and other cities and is the author of   Parish of the Assumption: The Life and Times of the Mystical Christ in Durand, Wisconsin (1960).

Lois E. Anderson of Port Edwards is the author of Recipes to Remember : manna from heaven, raw food delights. (2009)*

Thomas C. Anderson was a member of the Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department and co-author of  River City Fire* (1995).

Kathleen Arnold, born and raised in Wisconsin Rapids, has contributed to  Coming Home to Door* (1998).

Arsene Louis Arpin was the author of  Mississippi Basin Pioneer* (1962). This book starts with his childhood in Arpin and then moves to his work in marsh land reclamation in Louisiana.

Peter A. Augustyniak is the retired Assistant Chief of the Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department and the co-author of  River City Fire* (1995).

H. Russell Austin (1920- ) was a resident of Wisconsin Rapids and other cities and is the author of  The Milwaukee Story; the Making of an American City (1946) and The Wisconsin Story : the Building of a Vanguard State* (1964).

Andy Barnett, currently Director of  McMillan Memorial Library, is the author of  Libraries, Community and Technology * (2002) and editor of George Barnett, Marine Corps Commandant: A Memoir, 1877-1923 (2015).

William Clark Bliesner (1935-) lived in Wisconsin Rapids and is the author of  A study in the porous structure of fibrous sheets using permeability techniques (1963).

Inez Brasier lived in Aprin and was the author of  Little folk of garden and wood (1933),  Little nature folk at home (1934), Pestiferous pets (1949),  Daisy (1951) and  Childhood friends of Jesus (1952).

Jackie Bredl-Dietrich is a contributing author to Creating workplace community : Motivation (2004).

 J. Marshall Buehler is the author of  The Nekoosa story : A commemorative history of Nekoosa Papers* (1987).

Herbert A. Bunde's personal recollections are included in the book  Shanagolden : an industrial romance : Ashland County history* (1990).

Augustus G. Cary was the author of  Cranberry culture on a western plan : with valuable items and recipes from growers and members of the Wisconsin Cranberry Association  (1891), which is available online.

Ann Kurz Chambers is a former resident who is both an artist and a writer. Her art can be viewed and borrowed at the Library. She is the author of  Cranberries from A to Z : an educational picture book* (1989) and a contributor to  Coming Home to Door*. (1998) 

William Howard Clements lived in Pittsville and was the author of  The fitful wind (1966).

Betty Conger is a resident and the author of  You forgot, but I still love you Reynold : the alzheimer tragedy* (1999) and Diary of Raynold (2003).

Cathy Conger is a resident of Wisconsin Rapids and the author of  In the wee small hours of the morning* (1998), a collection of her poetry. 

Byron Crowns is the author of  Wisconsin Through 5 Billion Years of Change* (1976). Long time Rapids resident Ralph V. Boyer was the photographer for this book.

Victoria (Tork) Davis, a 1986 Assumption graduate, is a well known photographer, with a calendar and a book  Innocence : Universal Expressions of Childhood to her credit.

Bruce Dethlefsen is a former employee of the Nekoosa School District and has appeared at the McMillan Coffeehouse. He is the author of  A decent reed : poems* (1998) and other works.

Lisl H. Detlefsen is the author of a number of picture books: Time for Cranberries* (2015), If You Had a Jetpack* (2018), Right This Very Minute* (2019) and 1, 2, 3 Jump!* (2019), with Catkwondo and On the Go Awesome arriving in Fall 2020.

Ilse Dietsche is a photographer and poet whose work has appeared in Coming Home to Door* (1998) and the poetry of cold* (1997).

Jill L. Donahue of Wisconsin Rapids, is the author of numerous children's books, including joke books and several books in the How to be Safe! *(2009) series.

Edgar George Doudna was Superintendent of Schools in Wisconsin Rapids 1919-1922. He later was Secretary to the Wisconsin Teachers Association. Some of his works include:  Our Wisconsin: a school history of the badger state (1922); Government in Wisconsin (1940);  Tracing Early Wisconsin History (1947-8) and  The Thirtieth Star, 1848-1948 (1948). 

Frances Jane Merrill Edwards (1832-1921) of Port Edwards was the author of  Reminiscences, and other poems (1906) and  Leaves from the almond tree (1901).

Loren Elkin taught social studies at West Junior High School and is the author of  Growing up in Amery* (1987).

Dave Engel, local historian and author of: The age of paper : consolidation of the water power at Wisconsin Rapids, 1886-1904*;  Home mission : a history of the First Congregational, United Church of Christ, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin*;  River city memoirs*;  River city memoirs II *;  River City memoirs III*;  The fat memoirs*;  River city memoirs #5*;  River city memoirs. VI, The home front*;  Shanagolden : an industrial romance : Ashland County history*; and  Dylan in Minnesota : just like Bob Zimmerman's blues*.

Brian Farrey is a Lincoln graduate and the author of a number of books, including The Vengekeep prophecies* (2012) and With or without you (2011).

Guy Stanton Ford (1873 - 1962) was a resident of Wisconsin Rapids and other cities and was the author of  Hanover and Prussia, 1795-1803 (1903);  Stein and the Era of reform in Prussia, 1807-1815 (1903);  On and Off the Campus (1938) and  The Making of the University (1940).

Derrick Gaetke was born and raised in Wisconsin Rapids. He is the author of Moonclaw  (2005).

Kenneth Gass is the author of Trilobites!*  (2005).

Cecelia K. Gibson was the author of Poems (1920).

Elizabeth Goggins was the author of Billy Boy (1932), a book of poems illustrated by noted children's book artist Eulalie, published by Suttonhouse.

Hazel Grange (1905-1997) was the author of  the autobiographical Live arrival guaranteed : a sandhill memoir*, an account of the Sandhill Game Farm, Inc., which was located in southwest Wood County and is now the Sandhill State Wildlife Area.

Wallace Byron Grange (1905-1987) was the founder of the Sandhill Game Farm, Inc. (now the Sandhill State Wildlife Area) and the author of numerous works, including Those of the Forest* (1953) and The Way to Game Abundance (1949). Grange has been inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame.

Warren B. Hall is a local poet and author of Pieces of Me* (2002).

Frances Hamerstrom (1907 - 1998) lived in Plainfield and  was the author of many books, including My double life : memoirs of a naturalist* (1994). She was a citizen of the world and spoke at McMillan shortly before her death. 

Colleen Kohler Kanieski is not a resident or native, but her book Please pass the roses* (1995) is set in Wisconsin Rapids and other central Wisconsin communities.

Claudia Koonz is a native and the author of Mothers in the fatherland : women, the family, and Nazi politics (1987). 

Brian Krans is a native (Assumption High School 2000) and the author of A Constant Suicide* (2007).

Helen A. Kroening is the author of Sharing God's Word* (1991) and God's World Is Our World* (1991), collections of her poetry.

Virgene "Jean" Kemp Krueger resided in Rapids 1954-1989 and was the author of many humorous essays and nostalgic pieces. They are collected in Cartwheels & Cumberlings (1983).

Keith A. La Brot is the author of  The Nazarene (1992).

Ronald B. McCabe is the former Director of McMillan Memorial Library and author of Civic Librarianship : Renewing the Social Mission of the Public Library* (2001).

Pam Marshall of Port Edwards is the author of Sweet Surrender* (2007) and two children's non-fiction titles.

Mary "Casey" Martin is the editor of Coming Home to Door* (1998) and the poetry of cold* (1997).

Ellen Lenore Minahan (1860 - 1951) was a resident of Wisconsin Rapids and other cities and was the author of  End of the Corduroy (1947). 

Carol Molski of Wisconsin Rapids is the author of children's picture book Swimming Sal* (2009).

Eric Montag
of Wisconsin Rapids is the author of Mad Dreams* (2002), a collection of short stories.

Edith Nash was, among many other things, a poet, whose works include the collection The Words* and a contribution to  Coming home to Door : vignettes & recipes celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Door County Literary Guild*. Her Practice the here and now: selected writings of Edith Nash (2001) is available on-line as part of the University of Wisconsin Digital Collection.

Philleo Nash wrote several works of non-fiction, mainly dealing with anthropology, including The excavation of Ross mound group I* (1933).

Rhonda Whetstone Neibauer is a columnist for the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune which publishes her historical column, "Rhonda's View Rendezvous." She is also the author of Saratoga Sands (2009), which is a history of the Township of Saratoga in Wood County, WI.

John Henry Otto (1822-1908)  lived in Wisconsin/Grand Rapids and is buried at Forest Hills and is the author of Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill: The "War Memories" of John Henry Otto, Captain, Company D, 21st Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry* (2004). 

George Leo Peltier (1888- ) was a resident of Wisconsin Rapids and other cities and was the author of  A history of the cranberry industry in Wisconsin* (1970),  Laboratory Manual for General Bacteriology (1938) and  Laboratory Manual of Microbiology for Preprofessional Students in the Medical Sciences (1950, 1962).

Mark Perry (1950- ) is the author of several books of history and analysis, including Conceived in liberty : Joshua Chamberlain, William Oates, and the American Civil War (1997).

John M. Potter is a former Wood County District Attorney. His book,  The Tangled Web* (1993) is the story of the prosecution and conviction of Eddie Kanieski for murder.

Joe Riederer is the author of  Restoration in the Barrens*(1999), a fiction title concerning a troubled youth and prairie restoration and the sequel  Trouble in the Barrens.  Riederer is a teacher in the area schools. The title as listed by the publisher (which includes classroom resources and other teacher friendly material) and by Amazon.

James A Retzlaff (1923 - 2003) was the author of  Nuggets of Wisdom* (1984), a collection of proverbs and quotations.

James E. Richardson is the author of  Underage Angel* (1995), an account of his service in WWII in the 11th Airborne Division.

Mercedese Robinson, poet, has published primarily on the Internet.

Mark Scarborough has contributed to  the poetry of cold* (1997) and is the author of  Blackberries Grown Wild : a few hand-picked poems (2000)*.

Ida Lee Chiappetta Siewert is a Kenosha native who is a long time resident of Wisconsin Rapids. Her book of recipes and reminiscences is  La cucina di Mamma e Papa : mi recordo sempre italiano (2000)*. 

Ellen Louise Martineau Specht (1917- ) was a resident of Wisconsin Rapids and other cities and the author of  The Green Bay route : including the Green Bay and Western ; Kewaunee, Green Bay and Western ; LaCrosse branch ; Stevens Point, Green Bay and Northern ; Waupaca, Green Bay and Western ; Iola and Northern ; Ahnapee and Western* (1966).

Raymond Edwin Specht (1918-) was a resident of Wisconsin Rapids and other cities and the author of  The Green Bay route : including the Green Bay and Western ; Kewaunee, Green Bay and Western ; LaCrosse branch ; Stevens Point, Green Bay and Northern ; Waupaca, Green Bay and Western ; Iola and Northern ; Ahnapee and Western* (1966),   The Milwaukee and Northern (1969),  The Wisconsin Valley Line : the Wisconsin Valley Railroad, 1871-1880, the Wisconsin Valley Division, C.M. & St. P. Ry. Co., 1880-1927, C.M. St. P. & P.RR, 1927-* (1979) and Central Wisconsin's railroads : past and future* (1981). 

Meg Swansen is the daughter of designer Elizabeth Zimmermann, a leading figure in handknitting since the mid-1950s. She is the owner of Schoolhouse Press, writes the semi-annual" Wool Gathering," has produced nearly 20 instructional videos, and presides over Knitting Camp. She lives in Pittsville, Wisconsin.

Marvin Teske wrote an autobiography,  Piano to the Stars*  (c1982), which covers his life as a pianist and friend to the famous.

L.E. Truchinski was born in Wisconsin Rapids and lived in Pittsville.  He is the author of  I cheated death :  A true story* (1984).

Bill Wilson is a former Director of McMillan Memorial Library and the co-author (with Ethel Himmel) of  Planning for Results : A Public Library Transformation Process (1998).

Sally Winkels of Pittsville is the author of  Reading, Riting, Rithmatic and Recess* (1998).

Lela Potter Winn was the author of  The Marsh : A Century of Cranberries* (1981), a book about a family of cranberry growers.

Lee S. Yetter of Pittsville is the author of The Tracker, a fiction title.

Adolph Yoss (1890-1959) of Pittsville and other cities was the author of  Pa, Ma, and me (1972).

Fred L. Yoss (1898-) of Pittsville and other cities was the author of  In the shadow of the mound (1970) and  Roots and branches of Jodocus : a genealogy of the Joss (Yoss) lineage (1971) and editor of   Pa, Ma, and me (1972).

David Zellmer is the author of  The Spectator : A World War II Bomber Pilot's Journal of the Artist as Warrior* (1999). He was born and raised in Wisconsin Rapids. Title as listed by publisher and by Amazon.

Suze Ziegahn is the author of Red Harvest (2002), a fictional account of a family in crisis.

Elizabeth Zimmermann (August 9, 1910 – November 30, 1999) was a British-born knitter known for revolutionizing the modern practice of knitting through her books and instructional series on American public television. She founded Schoolhouse Press in her home near Pittsville.