Jeremy Ratliff
Editor
In August, local attorney Jerry Hersil was surprised to hear he had been selected as a recipient of the Jefferson Award, in recognition of his work with establishing and maintaining the Haunted Sawmill.
Thursday, Nov. 14 brought yet another surprise for Jerry, when he was notified he had been selected to represent North Central Wisconsin at the annual Jefferson Award Gala in Washington D.C this summer.
“I was surprised to say the least when I was contacted in August and informed I had been selected to receive the award,” the father of two explains.
“But to be picked to head to Washington, wow….I wasn’t expecting that either,” he adds with a grin.
“It’s an honor to be selected, but it’s humbling at the same time. I really can’t take the credit for the success of the Haunted Sawmill. The credit truly goes to all of the volunteers over the years, who have invested so much time and effort. They made it what it has become today.”
A native of Mauston, Wis. Hersil attended UW-La Crosse and UW-Madison Law School.
He relocated to Merrill in 2001; joining the Ament, Wulf and Frokjer Law firm, where he continues to practice law.
As Hersil explains, his strong belief in civic responsibility has been the driving force in his involvement with the Haunted Sawmill.
“We have an obligation to help each other in our community. If you have a chance to help out others, you should. That’s how I was raised and that’s why I continue to support the Haunted Sawmill,”
Since its inception nine years ago, to now being a regional attraction and drawing audiences of “scary” proportions every year, Hersil remains adamant.
“I can’t take credit for something we all hoped would be a great addition to the community. It’s been an amazing experience.
WAOW News 9 and Marshfield Clinic partner in sponsoring the Jefferson Awards.