Bright gem: Kitzrow left behind mark in Yorkville

By Maureen Vander Sanden

Correspondent

Town of Yorkville officials said goodbye to one of their own Aug. 14, when former town clerk Jane Kitzrow passed away at 96 years old.

As a town clerk for more than 40 years, Kitzrow left behind a legacy of lifetime community service.

To many, she will be remembered as an educator, mentor, unofficial town historian and top-notch pie maker, among other roles.

According to colleagues, it was her kindness and positive demeanor that could only overshadow her contributions and accomplishments.

“She was the kindest person one would ever meet,” according to former town clerk/treasurer Judy Aimone, who worked with Kitzrow for 20 years before succeeding her in 1997, when the position went from elected to appointed.

“Jane really served the public well,” said Aimone. “She enjoyed sharing the history and inner workings of town to whoever needed information. She was always happy to help.”

As a descendent of one of the town’s earliest settlers, Kitzrow held strong roots in the community and took a lot of pride in sharing Yorkville’s history, said Town Supervisor Terry McMahon, who was first elected to the Town Board in 1985.

“She was always willing to share the experiences and knowledge about the people of the town,” he said. “It was very beneficial to me. Whatever Jane instilled upon us, I’ve always kept close to my heart.”

She was a vital resource on local history, a go-to girl whenever anyone needed to know random historic tidbits, according to McMahon.

And, even though she passed, she did not take that invaluable knowledge with her. Instead, she left behind a priceless gift to the community when she took a trip to Milwaukee to convert all town records from the 1800s to her time at town hall onto microfilm.

“She did a fine job of keeping good records of the town and all its history,” the longtime supervisor said. “It was important to her and she saw it fit to take that step in preserving our history by converting it all from longhand. She was a forward thinker.”

In addition to recording and preserving Yorkville’s history, McMahon said he admired Kitzrow’s diligence in keeping up with changes in local government.

She was an active member of Wisconsin Municipal Clerks, which named her Clerk of the Year in 1997 as well as the International Institute of Clerks.

“She was so supportive of town government,” he said, “She always felt it was so important to be fully aware of change.”

He noted that she was a mentor to many clerks throughout Racine County as a result of her ongoing training in the field.

Aimone agreed, stating: “wherever there was training, Jane was eager to go do it. She really enjoyed working with other clerks and help them anytime something might come up.”

Additionally, she went out of her way to bake pies and serve other homemade dishes at Board meetings for hungry supervisors.

McMahon said he enjoyed a number of her dishes that she would prepare for meetings and other gatherings.

Treating board members to her home-cooking stems back to the days when she opened her Plank Road farmhouse to the town for regular board meetings, which went on for nearly three decades.

Her son William recalls growing up and seeing “all the local farmers” who served doing town business around the dining room table, and “mom with a big, 3-by-4 foot (open) book.”

“She went from writing in that to doing her job with a computer on her desk,” he said.

Like changes in technology, William noted that his mother also saw a lot of change in the countryside over the years.

“When they were making the stones (Mt. Rushmore) in South Dakota, she got to see them in the works. We took her back in the early 2000s, so she got to see them complete. That was a pretty neat experience for her,” he said.

Likewise, she got to see the Racine County Fair from its inception to what it has grown into today.

“Her thing was the fair,” said William. “Her dad helped get the fair started and served on the board, so the fair was always very important to her.”

Known for her antiquing, weaving, canning and pie-making skills, Kitzrow was a favorite exhibitor among judges.

“Last year she told me it was her first year ever that she did not get an exhibit,” said Aimone, “and this year she said she didn’t even know whether she would make to it the fair at all (due to her failing health). But she got to go. Her son took her in her wheelchair, which she just immensely enjoyed.”

According to William, Kitzrow was delighted during her two days attending the fair, and the family was thankful to have been able to take her one last time.

A highlight was the pie auction, which featured Kitzrow’s granddaughter Bethany Sorce’s apple raspberry and pineapple pies.

Bethany learned to bake pies right from grandma, according to William, who said his mother was known for her chocolate and apple pies.

“My personal favorite was her ice-cream pie,” he added.

Bethany also continues the family fair tradition by serving on its board, something that “made mom proud,” said William.

“She loved talking about her grandchildren and was excited about her grandchild on the way,” Aimone said.

Even during times of trouble, Kitzrow’s colleagues and friends remember her with a bright smile on her face.

McMahon recalled the time Kitzrow’s husband passed, and he asked her how she “accepts the setbacks so graciously.”

“She told me, ‘you just have to be flexible, take one day at a time, and look to the future,’” he said.