Mary Beversdorf volunteers for St. Paul Lutheran Church, the Wittenberg Chamber of Commerce and the American Legion Auxiliary.
She was born in Wausau, moving to Wittenberg when she was 11 years old. After graduating from Wittenberg High School, she earned a two-year secretarial science degree from Northcentral Technical College in Wausau. Her first job was at Wausau Abstract & Title, followed by 32 years at the Wittenberg Telephone Company. Beversdorf was church secretary for 20 years. She retired two years ago.
Mary and her husband, Dick, have been married 43 years and live in the town of Wittenberg. They have three sons and five grandchildren. Dick works in maintenance at Homme Youth and Family Programs. For 12 years, from 1985-1997, the couple were foster parents to boys from Homme who had to get out of the program but wanted to finish high school, and to some who didn’t have anywhere else to go.
For many years the couple raised feeder pigs and beef and did some cash crops on their 200 acres. Now they raise some pigs and beef from spring to fall. Mary has a big garden where she does canning and freezing along with apple trees that supply her with 50 to 60 jars of applesauce every year.
Q Where do you volunteer?
A “I volunteer for the American Legion Auxiliary Post 502. I’m the president. We sponsor the poppy program. The auxiliary also sponsors the Valentine’s party at Homme Home of Wittenberg. In June we help the Chamber of Commerce with Wittenberg Community Days. We sell hamburgers and hot dogs at the beer stand. We help with the veterans programs at the middle and high schools. At Christmas we deliver gifts to needy veterans in the Wittenberg area. Twice a year we sponsor the Blood Bank for Marathon County in Wittenberg.”
Q Where else do you volunteer?
A “At St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wittenberg, I arrange the Altar Committee for the church year. I call the women to change the altar clothes and put oil in the candles, along with my two months of doing that myself. I’m president of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and volunteered for 14 years in the Lutheran Brotherhood office. I take care of organizing the scripture readers for the church services. I help with cooking the funeral meals and deliver meals to shut-ins.”
She also has been helping at Vacation Bible School in summer and Sunday School for many years. When her sons were in high school, she was the treasurer of the booster club. Currently she is the treasurer for Wittenberg Community Days, which is part of the Chamber of Commerce.
Q Why do you volunteer?
A “I’m trying to be a good Christian. I like doing it. My husband likes to volunteer and we can do it together. I feel good about the Legion and the auxiliary and helping veterans. It’s fun to raise money and give it away. It all goes back to the community. I don‘t know how I got it all done when I was working.”
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