veterans. In 1961 he was appointed a field agent of
the Masonic Service Association; and in this
capacity he has been visiting the Veterans Hospital
at Madison for what will be fifteen years by the
Ides of March, 1976.
When the request came to this committee,
through our alumni foundation, to consider Mr.
Longbotham's record of public service, your pro-
tern reporter got in touch with older townspeople
who would know this Platteville native, and also
with Mr. Nolan Gibson, who is the Veterans Ser-
vice officer for Grant County. On our behalf, Mr.
Gibson was so good as to visit the Veterans
Hospital in Madison, where the staff members
spoke enthusiastically of Mr. Longbotham's
devoted work; and he also interviewed Mr.
Longbotham, asking for some facts of his career,
for "a possible write-up in some alumni bulletin."
Mr. Longbotham said he was driving to Platteville
February 7 for the annual Inspection ceremony at
the Masonic Temple, and that he would bring
along his "obituary" for us; so through Mr. Gib-
son's kindness I was enabled to meet Mr.
Longbotham when he came. Now I share what
seems to be the concensus of those who know him.
He impresses one as being kind, self-effacing, and
dedicated to his work.
Here are some details of Mr. Longbotham's
career, taken from the vita he brought along, and
from the 1917 Pioneer, and from inquiries made
among old residents of Platteville. I omit the long
and impressive list of his honors in his various
ledges (for whose sake he has provided these data);
and doubtless there is much civic or community
service in all the cities where he has lived, that he
has not set down here. For instance, he happened
to speak of his office mate at the Veterans
Hospital, who has a position parallel to his own,
with the Knights of Columbus; and these two good
friends are active in arranging the joint evening
meetings of the KC and the Masons, with the two
lodges alternating as hosts and providers of the lec-
ture programs. Other things that you elicit only by
asking him questions: He was in World War I not
because he was drafted, but because he made a
second application after being turned down on the
first try ... His schedule at the Veterans Hospital
is five days a week, plus three hours on Sunday
(and the hospital officials told Mr. Gibson that he
is at work there for many other hours.) He lives
about a three-mile drive from the hospital; he also
drives on many errands for the patients, for in-
stance downtown to buy them special shoes after
foot surgery.
"Gilmore Thomas Longbotham was born in
Platteville ... in 1897." (His mother was a
Gilmore; her grandfather, James Gilmore, was a
member of Wisconsin's first Constitutional Con-
vention, in 1846.) The Longbotham's house is still
standing - the big white frame house with the
carport, on the west corner of Washington, a block
north of Old Main. When Fred Ullrich came to
town - Ullrich - Hill Ullrich - it was sold to
him. These trivia are included here for those on the
committee who think in trivial or Gestalt patterns.
The Longbothams were kinsmen or in-laws of Mr.
Irven Gibson, of the Gardners (Gardner-Hall) and
other old-time citizens. Some of Mr.
Longbotham's relatives are among our alumni,
though no one but himself from his immediate
family, for he was an only child.
"He received his elementary education in the
Model Department of the then Platteville Normal
School. In 1917 he received his diploma, and later
ornpleted his undergraduate work and received
his B.E. degree" (Secondary Educational course,
Platteville State Normal) "in the summer of 1933.
He did his graduate work at the University of
Minnesota."
In 1928 "he was married to Ruth Hadley at
Platteville." They had one son, who is a high school
teacher at Westfield, Wisconsin; and there are five
cndchildren and three great-grandchildren. Mrs.
ngbotham died in 1950. In 1959, "he was mar-
ried to Marion Wagner, Professor of Home
Economics, University of Wisconsin - Madison."
She continues her teaching, under the Madison
University Extension program.
Here is his list of school positions: "1917-1920,

Principal of Schools, Timewell, Illinois; 1919 (four
months) Principal of State Graded School, Boaz,
Wis.; 1919-20, Principal of High School, South
Wayne, Wis.; 1923 (four months) Principal of
Schools, Footville, Wis.; 1923-1934, County
Superintendent of Schools, Rock County, Wis.;
1934-1937, President, Sauk County Teachers Col-
lege; 1937-1944, President, Rusk County Teachers
College; 1945-1954, County Superintendent of
Schools, Rusk County, Wis.; 1954-1958, Presi-
dent, Lincoln County Teachers College."
"He served as President of the Wisconsin Coun-
ty Superintendents Association, in 1932-1933,"
and "President of the Wisconsin County Teachers
Presidents Association in 1941-1942." - How
many of our alumni have been president of a
presidents' association?
"He is a member of the Veterans Administra-
tion Volunteer Service Committee, at the Veterans
Administration Hospital, and is Chairman of the
Emergency Fund Committee. He has been
selected as the Lay Member of the Subcommittee
on Human Studies of General Medical Research,
Veterans Administration Hospital, Madison."
In cold print, those offices and honors may seem
routine. But the picture changes, once you get Mr.
Longbotham to answering questions and talking of
specific cases: for instance, of children born with
dreadfully deformed limbs, who after long treat-
ment at the Children's Hospital had sought him
out in order to proudly demonstrate that now they
could walk... In short, here is the one nominee for
our award, for whom I am tempted to become a
campaigner. I do hope the committee finds him
worthy. Dr. Milton Longhorn, for years a member
of this committee, and afterwards a recipient
himself of its award, endorses the nomination of
Mr. Longbotham      for this honor. G. T.
Longbotham, Thomas Longbotham
JOSEPH AND ANNA
LOZOWSKI
My parents were both born in Poland but did not
meet until they were living near Wilkes Barre, Pa.
They were married in 1904. Three children
Stanley, Joe and Mary were born in Pa. Father
worked in the coal mines but when he heard there
was homestead land to be had in eastern Montana
he and the family moved there. They lived for
about 9 years there and 4 more children were born
- Helen, Victoria, Celia and John.

Celia and Stanley Michalski
My mother truly was of pioneer stock as she was
confronted with mountain lions, rattlers and other
wild animals when she tended her garden. She had
most of the kids with no help of a doctor only
father or a neighbor lady. Father was gone a lot
working in Wyoming as the land was dry and hard
to raise crops. Then he decided to move to Rusk
Co. to a little cabin where we lived for 2 years.
Another son Bill was born who later was killed
during the war in 1945. He was a bomber pilot on
a B24. Then Pa decided to seek work in Milwaukee
so he, Joe, and Stanley took a team of horses and it
took them over a month to get there. Father found
work there on the railroad. Joe and Stanley also
found jobs. We then joined them after father built

a home. While we lived in Milwaukee, they had
three more girls - Rose, Alice and Ruth. Then in
1930 Pa was ill and wanted to live in the country so
we moved back to Rusk Co., where he died in
1931; Mother died in 1948; Victoria in 1975; and
John in 1978.
I met my husband Stanley Michalski in 1931;
we married 4 years later. We have 5 children -
James, Diane, Richard, Roger and William. My
husband logged, farmed and worked in the
taconite mines in Silver Bay, Minn. Our children
with the exception of Richard who lives in Helena,
Mt. all live in Minnesota. We now live in Rusk Co.
and have lived here for 25 years in all. Celia
Lozowski Michalski

Mrs. Anna Luczynski 1952

THE WALDYSLAW
LUCZYNSKI FAMILY
My father came from Poland in the early 1900's.
He started life in Chicago as did many other im-
migrants. In 1911 he came to Rusk County and
purchased 80 acres of wild land. He built a 2-room
log house after which he returned to Chicago
where he met his wife-to-be, named Anna.
They married in 1912 and moved to Rusk Coun-
ty in 1913. Seven children resulted from this mar-
riage all of which were born at home. The neighbor
lady acted as midwife and when the last 2 girls
were born my dad was midwife. In those days very
few were born in a hospital.
Things were very rough in those days. Mother
told of sawing wood with a hand saw the day
before she delivered her first child. It was Oct. 11,
1913 which was needed to heat the home and cook.
We children walked to school one and three
quarter miles. Back then no one had a car.
My father cleared the land for crops and garden
with oxen. Later on he used horses and traded
labor with other neighbors in helping to clear the
land. All the land was plowed with a hand plow.
As most people can testify the land was very
stoney. When my father bought the land from the
Ben Faust Lumber Company, he asked the agent if
there were enough stones to someday build a barn.
The agent told him he didn't know if there were
enough stones in 40 acres, but he was sure there
would be enough in 80 acres. It ended up one could
have built a wall 4 feet thick and probably 10 feet
high and still have stones left over.
My father paid cash for the land but borrowed
$1800 to start their life together up here. They had
a hard time paying $55 interest twice a year on the
loan.
My folks planted about an acre of potatoes every
year. These were planted and hoed by hand. After
digging in the fall they were hauled to Conrath
with horse and wagon. They sold for 250 a hundred
pounds.
My dad and four other neighbors hauled milk to
the cheese factory in Conrath with horses and
wagon. In the winter they used a sleigh.
We had a new house built in 1931. By then my
oldest sister went to Chicago to work. In the next
few years the older children left home. The oldest
brother went to Chicago in 1933. The brother
older than I went to the C.C.C. camp. When he
came back he left for Chicago. Then came World
War II so he and another brother were drafted into
the Army.
It was 1943 when the mortgage on the farm was