Rose Thielbar grew up on a farm in Illinois so transitioning to life in the Northwoods was a natural progression. She considers watching animal (and human) behavior endlessly fasci...view moreRose Thielbar grew up on a farm in Illinois so transitioning to life in the Northwoods was a natural progression. She considers watching animal (and human) behavior endlessly fascinating. She also enjoys a good road trip with her husband to explore new and beautiful places. Her favorite thing is walking along the shore of a rushing stream. She thrives on books to read, gardens to tend and annual visits from children and grandchildren. Work experiences were as a Tele-typist, a bookkeeper, an income tax preparer, and a newspaper writer. She wrote five different monthly newsletters through the years, just for the fun of it.
Ray Thielbar was an Illinois River town boy, raised by a mom who was musical and a dad with a “can-do” ability. He married his high school sweetheart, attended Eureka College and Moody Bible Institute and finally decided on a career path with Caterpillar Tractor Co. as a Metallurgist. Scaling the ladder of responsibility included various levels of management and five years in Brazil. With his wife, Rose, they raised a family of three great kids who also share an appreciation for outdoor activities, as well as a wide variety of other interests. In 2018, Ray received the Music & Drama Community Service to the Arts Award for his contributions of music, and of art, by way of the many hand carved wooden signs which he made for the Bear and Wolf centers and various businesses in Ely. Perhaps, his greatest contribution was his 25 years of leadership in planning the annual community Thanksgathering program.view less