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Manitowoc, Wis. For four decades the late Bill Walters covered the dairy industry in northeast Wisconsin as a radio personality for WCUB radio based in Manitowoc. At the station, he served as chief announcer, program director, and later as farm director until his retirement in 1992. The man known to his radio audience as Bill Walters was first known to his family as Bill Zummach. In either case, Bill was a big man with a soft heart. While he covered every area of news during his 40-year career at WCUB, Bill’s passion was interviewing the area’s dairy farm families who were the backbone of the industry, as Bill would tell his listeners as he relayed industry matters in a fashion that all listeners could understand. Bill firmly believed these farm families instilled the best life values into young people. And in Bill’s mind there was no better place to raise children. With that in mind, Bill left a major gift from his estate to the Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative and to their families, in particular their sons and daughters, to further their education. It was Bill’s hope that they, too, would return to the family farm or take up a career in the industry and continue to build strong families and businesses in the area.
Bill Walters
The man with a commanding radio voice used action instead of his distinctive voice to put his thoughts into motion with the kindest of gifts when he left a $189,000 contribution to the Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative of Manitowoc, Wis. That money is available to children from the cooperative’s 2,890 farm families. In order to fully utilize Bill’s generous donation, the Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative entered into partnership with another well-known dairy organization — the National Dairy Shrine. The 60-year-old National Dairy Shrine which awards over $30,000 annually to dairy youth will manage the Bill Walters Scholarship for the Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative. Through sound investments, the organization hopes to grow the fund so dairy youth may receive the Walters Scholarship for many generations. This year, the first six Walter scholars each received a $1,500 award. Those winners include: Stephanie Geiger, Brillion, Wis., Curtis Horsens, Gillett, Wis., Adam Kolb, Kiel, Wis., Ramamda Maves, Amherst, Wis., Tony Meyer, Colby, Wis., and Stephanie Nagel, Valders, Wis.
Bill Walters received countless awards over the years. He was honored by the National FFA with the American Farmer Degree and received a citation from the Wisconsin State Assembly for his distinguished career serving Wisconsin dairy farmers. Prior to his career as WCUB, Bill broadcast the Friday Night Dancing Party from the Riverside Ballroom and Jim Manci’s Supper Club. As part of the job, he was the last announcer to interview Buddy Holly before his fateful February 3, 1959, plane crash.
The Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative is the nation’s eighth largest dairy co-p. Its 2,890 members sell 4,706 million pounds of milk or 547 million gallons. The National Dairy Shrine is a 501-3C education-based charity with a mission of: (1) recording dairy history, (2) inspiring future dairy leaders, (3) honoring top dairy cattle breeders and pioneers, and (4) honoring present dairy pioneers. For more information on the Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative call, Dennis Donohue at (920) 684-5555. For more information on the National Dairy Shrine, contact Dr. David Selner, Executive Director, P.O. Box 1, Maribel, WI 54227 or call (920) 863-6333 or e-mail info@dairyshrine.org.
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