Title: Dorothy Plautz Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1960-2007

Creator:

• Plautz, Dorothy, 1928-

Call Number: UWM Manuscript Collection 170

Quantity: 14.4 cubic ft. (20 boxes)
Repository:

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives Department

Archival Location:

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

The collection contains the personal papers of Dorothy Plautz of Greenfield, Wisconsin, a genealogist and writer. The majority of the collection consists of photographs and materials from scrapbooks compiled by Dorothy Plautz. She began assembling the scrapbooks around the time she met and married her second husband, Alan Brunka. The scrapbooks capture daily and special family events, such as hospital stays and vacations. Plautz continued gathering items that tell the story of her life and her family's throughout her divorce from Brunka, marriage to Paul Ogrizovich, his death, and subsequent marriage to John Plautz. The collection also includes short stories and family histories written by Plautz.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-mil-uwmmss0170

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Dorothy (Marsh) Plautz was born on November 11, 1928, in Neenah, Wisconsin, the only child of Elwin and Eleanor Marsh. She was raised Roman Catholic on the family farm in rural Eureka (Winnebago County), Wisconsin. She attended Bell School, a country school with one teacher for all of the children in kindergarten through eighth grades. Later, she rode the bus to attend Omro High School. In high school she met her first husband Noel Craig. They were married after World War II and their daughter Valorie was born on July 15, 1949.

According to Mrs. Plautz, the marriage was apparently troubled early on. Plautz wrote about her marriage to Craig in Four Generations of Women, which is included in the collection. The Craig family first lived in Eureka, close to their families before Dorothy insisted they move to Omro, Wisconsin in the 1950s. Dorothy remained married to Noel Craig for fifteen years, despite the tumultuous nature of their relationship.

After Dorothy's divorce from Noel Craig, she continued to work and live in Omro with her daughter Valorie. She became friends with another divorced woman and it was while they were at a dinner together that she met her second husband, Alan Brunka, in 1960. Brunka was also divorced and had custody of his sons, Tom and Jim, ages three and five. Shortly after their introduction, Dorothy answered an advertisement for a part-time assistant to organize a company's accounts. The company turned out to be Control Engineering, Brunka's business. The two eventually began dating and were married in 1961.

The Brunkas moved to Oconto, Wisconsin in 1961 where Alan pursued his career as an electrical engineer after dissolving his business. Mrs. Plautz wrote that the family also moved away from Alan's mother, Ethel Brunka, who had been caring for Tom and Jim since Alan's divorce from his wife Lillian, but did not treat the boys well. She was a source of contention for the rest of the marriage for allegedly abusing the boys and allowing their mother visitation when the courts prohibited it. Throughout their youth, Dorothy feared that Lillian would attempt to take the boys away.

According to Mrs. Plautz, the Brunka family moved to Wales, Wisconsin in 1964 when Alan began a new job. During this time, Alan and Dorothy became involved in local theatre groups and spent many evenings out at theatrical presentations. Dorothy worked in various office positions throughout her marriage to Brunka. As the children grew older, Dorothy was able to return to work full time. Dorothy's parents, Elwin and Eleanor "Nellie" Marsh, began spending winters with their daughter's family in Wales to save the expense of heating their farmhouse in Eureka.

By 1976, Valorie, Tom, and Jim had completed their education and were no longer living with Alan and Dorothy. Dorothy began taking English and creative writing classes through the University of Wisconsin--Extension, and at Carroll College. Alan decided to sell their home in Wales and move to a larger house in Palmyra, Wisconsin that needed significant repair and remodeling. She wrote that Alan convinced her to move by pledging that the house in Palmyra was his way of replacing her home in Oconto that she was forced to sell in the early years of their marriage. However, the Brunka's marriage had been going through a difficult period and according to Dorothy when Dorothy learned of Alan's extramarital affairs, she moved from Palmyra to an apartment in Waukesha, Wisconsin with the assistance of her children.

In 1978 Dorothy secured a job as a nurse's assistant at Westmoreland Manor in Waukesha and went about the business of rebuilding her life. Her divorce from Alan Brunka was finalized in 1979. She married Paul Ogrizovich, Sr. in 1979 after caring for him at Westmoreland Manor. Ogrizovich had been hospitalized after a stroke and was still in need of medical assistance. With Dorothy's support, Paul moved out of the nursing facility for the first time in over a decade and Dorothy became an important figure in the lives of Paul and his children. Paul and Dorothy purchased a house in Waukesha and undertook a remodeling project to make their home handicap accessible. Paul died on December 22, 1985 due to complications from pneumonia.

Dorothy continued to live in their home in Waukesha, was employed part-time doing office work, researched family genealogies, and wrote numerous short stories, articles for local newspapers, as well as a number of books. In 1989, Dorothy married John Plautz, her fourth husband. The Plautz's met at a meeting of a Milwaukee group called Widows Or Widowers (WOW) in 1987. After their marriage, she sold her house in Waukesha and moved to his home in West Allis, Wisconsin.

Dorothy Plautz published her first book, Der Stammbaum of the Merkley-Merkle Family, 1795-1976: From Rottweil and Stetten, Germany, to Town of Vinland, Winnebago County, Wisconsin in 1976. The genealogy book traced the history of her mother's family and was followed by books about the Marsh, Craig, Brunka, and Ogrizovich families. She also wrote the history of the Noldan family. Dorothy's daughter Valorie married Larry Noldan in 1973. Dorothy became a close friend of Larry Noldan's mother and grandmother and interviewed them for the book. In addition to genealogical research, Dorothy also undertook local history research and published her first book of historical fiction, The Glass House, in 1987. Two more works of fiction, The Homecoming of Amanda Cane and Sins and Secrets, followed it in 1988 and 1994, respectively. Her writing also included numerous articles for local newspapers, which were generally her remembrances about events from the past, or stories that she was told as a child. She also wrote a series of articles for Camping and RV Magazine entitled "Have Camper, Will Travel." She recommended vacation destinations and provided illustrations based on her own experiences traveling across the United States.

Scope and content notes of each series are included in the contents list.

The collection is organized into three series:

1. Correspondence, undated
2. Scrapbooks, 1960-2007
3. Writings, 1987-1994, undated

Scrapbooks are listed according to volume numbers assigned by the processing archivists. The date span of each volume was transcribed from the cover of the scrapbook itself, when such information was available.

Citation Guide for Primary Sources

• Eleanor Marsh Papers. UWM Manuscript Collection 162.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law.

Use Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

Acquisition Information

Dorothy Marsh Plautz of Greenfield, Wisconsin donated the first accession to the Archives in October 1999 (1999-065). She donated a second accession in March 2007 (2006-053).

Processing Information

Amy Schindler processed accession 1999-065 at the Archives from August 2000 to May 2001. Ryan Claringbole processed accession 2006-053 in May 2007.

Preservation Information

Due to their poor condition, the scrapbooks in accession 1999-065 were disassembled. Print materials (e.g., greeting cards, letters, and programs) were removed from each scrapbook. Newspaper clippings were photocopied onto acid-free paper, and the originals were then discarded. These original print materials and photocopies are housed in boxes 1-10. Photographs were also removed and placed in Mylar sleeves. Before being removed, the photographs were photocopied in situ to preserve original captions and other textual information. These photographs and photocopies are housed in boxes 10-14.

Box   1 Folder   7	Series: 1. Correspondence [Photocopy], undated Scope and Content Note: This series includes a photocopy of a letter from Plautz to her stepsons regarding copies of the scrapbooks that she made for them.
	Series: 2. Scrapbooks, 1960-2007 Scope and Content Note: The scrapbooks include a variety of documents, including programs from school events and local theatre productions, report cards, greeting cards, vacation souvenirs, postcards, documents related to jobs held by Plautz or other family members, and photocopies of local newspaper and magazine articles written by Plautz. A number of local theatre groups--including the Centre Stage Dinner Playhouse, the Melody Top Theatre, the Sunset Playhouse, the Skylight Theatre, and several other community theatre groups primarily from Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Oconto counties--are represented in the collection with programs, photographs from productions, and ticket stubs.	⇧
	Volume 1
Box   1 Folder   14-16	Print Materials, 1960-1962
Box   10 Folder   5	Photographs, 1960-1962
	Volume 2
Box   1 Folder   17	Print Materials, 1962-1963
Box   10 Folder   6	Photographs, 1962-1963
	Volume 3
Box   2 Folder   1-2	Print Materials, 1963-1964
Box   10 Folder   7	Photographs, 1963-1964
	Volume 4
Box   2 Folder   3-4	Print Materials, 1964-1965
Box   11 Folder   1	Photographs, 1964-1965
	Volume 5
Box   2 Folder   5-7	Print Materials, 1965-1966
Box   11 Folder   2	Photographs, 1965-1966
	Volume 6
Box   3 Folder   1-6	Print Materials, 1966-1967
Box   11 Folder   3	Photographs, 1966-1967
	Volume 7
Box   3 Folder   5-8	Print Materials, 1967-1968
Box   11 Folder   4	Photographs, 1967-1968
Box   11 Folder   5	Volume 8, Photographs, 1968
	Volume 9
Box   4 Folder   1-2	Print Materials, 1968-1969
Box   11 Folder   6	Photographs, 1968-1969
	Volume 10
Box   4 Folder   3-5	Print Materials, 1969-1970
Box   11 Folder   7	Photographs, 1969-1970
	Volume 11
Box   4 Folder   6	Print Materials, 1970-1971
Box   5 Folder   1-2	Print Materials, 1970-1971
Box   12 Folder   1	Photographs, 1970-1971
	Volume 12
Box   5 Folder   3-5	Print Materials, 1971
Box   12 Folder   2	Photographs, 1971
	Volume 13
Box   5 Folder   6-8	Print Materials, 1972-1973
Box   12 Folder   3	Photographs, 1972-1973
	Volume 14
Box   5 Folder   9	Print Materials, 1973
Box   6 Folder   1-2	Print Materials, 1973
Box   12 Folder   4	Photographs, 1973
	Volume 15
Box   6 Folder   3-7	Print Materials, 1973-1975
Box   12 Folder   5	Photographs, 1973-1975
	Volume 16
Box   6 Folder   8	Print Materials, 1975-1977
Box   7 Folder   1-5	Print Materials, 1975-1977
Box   12 Folder   6	Photographs, 1975-1977
	Volume 17
Box   7 Folder   6	Print Materials, 1978-1979
Box   13 Folder   1	Photographs, 1978-1979
	Volume 18
Box   7 Folder   7-8	Print Materials, 1979-1980
Box   8 Folder   1-3	Print Materials, 1979-1980
Box   13 Folder   2	Photographs, 1979-1980
	Volume 19
Box   8 Folder   4-6	Print Materials, 1980-1982
Box   13 Folder   3	Photographs, 1980-1982
	Volume 20
Box   8 Folder   7-8	Print Materials, 1982-1984
Box   9 Folder   1	Print Materials, 1982-1984
Box   13 Folder   4	Photographs, 1982-1984
	Volume 21
Box   9 Folder   2	Print Materials, 1984-1986
Box   13 Folder   5	Photographs, 1984-1986
	Volume 22
Box   9 Folder   3	Print Materials, 1986-1987
Box   13 Folder   6	Photographs, 1986-1987
	Volume 23
Box   9 Folder   4-5	Print Materials, 1987-1988
Box   13 Folder   7	Photographs, 1987-1988
	Volume 24
Box   9 Folder   6	Print Materials, 1989-1990
Box   10 Folder   1	Print Materials, 1989-1990
Box   14 Folder   1	Photographs, 1989-1990
Box   10 Folder   2-3	Volume 25, 1990-1994
Box   15	Volume 26, 1988 July 17-1989 June
Box   15	Volume 27, 1990 April-October 25
Box   15	Volume 28, 1990 October 28-1991 July 31
Box   15	Volume 29, 1991 July 31-1992 March 15
Box   16	Volume 30, 1992 March 16-October 1
Box   16	Volume 31, 1992 October 2-1993 June 4
Box   16	Volume 32, 1993 June 4-December 18
Box   16	Volume 33, 1993 December 19-1994 June 30
Box   17	Volume 34, 1994 July-1995 June 4
Box   17	Volume 35, 1995 June 4-1996 March 1
Box   17	Volume 36, 1996 March-November
Box   17	Volume 37, 1996 December-1997 July 15
Box   18	Volume 38, 1997 July 15-1998 May
Box   18	Volume 39, 1998 May 1-December 23
Box   18	Volume 40, 1998 December-1999 October
Box   18	Volume 41, 1999 October 2-2000 August 5
Box   19	Volume 42, 2000 August-December 31
Box   19	Volume 43, 2001 January-August
Box   19	Volume 44, 2001 Christmas-2002
Box   19	Volume 45, 2002-2003
Box   20	Volume 46, 2003-2004
Box   20	Volume 47, 2004-2005
Box   20	Volume 48, 2005-2007 January
	Series: 3. Writings, 1987-1994, undated Scope and Content Note: Series includes short stories recounting events and family members from Plautz's youth when she lived on a farm in rural Eureka, Wisconsin. Plautz's research for her genealogical books, including Der Stammbaum of the Merkley-Merkle Family, 1795-1976: From Rottweil and Stetten, Germany, to Town of Vinland, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, is also documented in this series.	⇧
Box   1 Folder   1	Alone at Last, undated
Box   1 Folder   2	As We Forgive Our Debtors, undated
Box   1 Folder   3	Aunt Mae's Charity Boxes, undated
Box   1 Folder   4	Bad Words, Bad Consequences, undated
Box   1 Folder   5	Bit of Family History, undated
Box   1 Folder   6	Business of Farming in the 1930s, undated
Box   1 Folder   8	Day Grandma Went to the Picnic, undated
Box   1 Folder   9	Depression Years, undated
Box   1 Folder   10	Fallen Idols, undated
Box   1 Folder   11	Four Generations of Women, undated
Box   14 Folder   4	Glass House, 1987
Box   1 Folder   12	Grade School Years, undated
Box   14 Folder   5	Homecoming of Amanda Cane, 1988
Box   1 Folder   13	Little Brother Comes Home at Last, undated
Box   10 Folder   4	Only Child, undated
Box   14 Folder   6	Sins and Secrets, 1994
Box   14 Folder   2	Uncle Bert, undated
Box   14 Folder   3	Uncle Robert's Story, undated