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Way to go, Jane Walrath Solem!

For the past couple of decades, Anna Marie Lux has been sharing human interest stories in her Gazette columns. She now writes three columns weekly, and these often are stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things (Note: Unless you subscribe and thus get our E-Edition, you won't find Lux's columns online; you must pick up copies of our print product to read them).

In today's Gazette, Lux introduces us to Jane Walrath Solem of Beloit. Actually, Jane is no ordinary woman. She served on the historical societies of Beloit and Rock County, and Lux explains why Jane has a dinosaur named after her at Rockford's Burpee Museum of Natural History.

Jane is almost 90, but she recently had a book published by Hartington Press of Lake Mills. Jane wrote "Wisconsin Angel," the story of how Cordelia Harvey worked to convince President Lincoln to build a hospital in the North to help save the lives of thousands of Union soldiers during the Civil War. Cordelia and her husband, Louis Harvey, lived in Shopiere before Louis became Wisconsin governor in 1861. Jane wrote the story 38 years ago, but she set the unpublished manuscript aside while focusing on family matters.

Jane and her first husband, the late Donald Walrath, owned a weekly newspaper in Clinton for more than 15 years. Jane wrote for the paper and for area papers under the byline "Betty Walrath." As Lux notes, Jane also was a poet and had amazing success entering limerick and jingle contests about consumer products such as Coca-Cola. She won four cars and other items in these contests.

That reminds me of a well-done book, "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio." It's based on the true story of housewife Evelyn Ryan, who had an alcoholic husband and helped support her family by entering jingle-writing contests. I also heard that a 2005 movie with the same title was entertaining. I'll have to remember to rent that film.

Anyway, as most of you know, I've written a book myself, and I can identify with the pride that Jane Walrath Solem must be feeling. Like Jane, I tried to preserve a story of historic value. When I sign copies of "Death Beyond the Willows," I do so by writing, "Every life holds a library of stories." I truly believe that.

But what most struck me about Lux's column was this quote from Jane:

"I like a purposeful life. Why are we here if we don't do something worthwhile or to help someone else?"

If more of us would only heed those wise words.

Greg Peck