Can you imagine growing up in Door County, then moving and living away for many years but eventually breaking up and selling the acreage you grew up on? Then one fine day, reading the Door County Advocate from afar and learning that there is now a bird sanctuary  occupying your former home-land? But let’s zoom forward for a moment.

   

 Last December, Nick Welter thoughtfully visited the ODBS Cool Merch page on our website to get his dad, Gary, something for Christmas and then saw the opportunity for a legacy brick. Next thing you know, I see
a brick coming through with the words, “In honor of Nick and Leona Welter – Family Homestead – Their legacy lives on in the land of this sanctuary:”

   

Wow! I thought, who is this? and immediately reached out with that very question! It turns out the Nick I spoke with is the grandson of Nick and Leona Welter, whose parents actually purchased the 80 acres which included ODBS, the home on the corner of Ehlers and County I and the home of Clint Seely just to the east of our entrance, as well as the 40 acres to the north of us, now owned and protected by longtime ODBS supporters.

   

Matthew and Mary Welter emigrated from Luxembourg to the Chicago area. In 1918, they moved to Door County with wife and son Nick, age 5, to take up residence in what is now Clint’s home. In 1939, a grown-up Nick married Leona Weborg, from very near by, and shortly after, Nick and Leona purchased the property from his mother Mary. His father, Matthew, had passed away and coming off the Depression it was tremendous that they could afford this and keep his mom with them for the rest of the only child of Nick and Leona, came along in 1941 and spent his first 20 years growing up on the property, exploring many of the very same features we explore and highlight. Gary eventually married Kathy and they relocated to Milwaukee to raise three sons, but the property remained in the family until 1982.

   

On April 22, we hosted Gary and his two of his sons Nick and Pete, sharing with them what their home has become and at the same time being regaled with fond memories of the complexion and life of the greater property as they knew it. Gary is a nature junkie as we are, and Gary and Rob were soon immersed in conversation about various land features that are still here, like the sink hole and the channel the little creek takes when the rains are heavy and the water table is high. Not to mention things not there back then like all of these crazy apple trees! Actually most of the trees were not present. After a bit of a raptor tour, we headed out onto the Maple Glen trail for a walkabout combined with a journey down memory lane with Gary.

   

We are honored and grateful to have the support of John Nelson of Door Guide Publishing (Go Guide and much more) and Chris Opper who runs the Door County Film Festival and owns The Red Putter in Ephraim. Chris joined us on the entire walkabout and is bringing this memorable interview to life by creating a series of YouTube videos that we will post between now and October. The links to the videos are also below for your viewing pleasure.

   

We hope you’ll enjoy this enjoy this personal journey into our ODBS history through the visual artistry of Chris Opper (video links are below). Each time we post a video, we will also send out the Snapshot Enews. If you don’t receive emails at present, you can add your email to the list or just periodically check out our YouTube channel or the website where information will be posted.