Many Voices of Milwaukee County Oral History Collection

The Many Voices of Milwaukee County features interviews of people from all walks of life connected to the Milwaukee area. These interviews illustrate the diversity of stories and histories of Milwaukee County, preserving the voices and experiences of those who have called this place home.

Interview with Clinton Fillenger, April 14, 2020

Clinton Fillenger worked for over 50 years as a news camera man in Milwaukee. He gives stories about his job for the Channel 6 news, which took him all over the world, meeting with Presidents, and covering some of Milwaukee’s most significant stories. He also reflects on his personal life in Milwaukee, noting the transformation that the city has gone through during his lifetime.

Interview with Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, August 20, 2021

Sheldon and Marianne Lubar are a Milwaukee couple who have been married for over 50 years. Sheldon was a business magnate, and reflects on his career working his way up from law school to become the undersecretary for HUD. Marianne reflects on her family’s life and their philanthropic endeavors.

Interview with Kathy Kean, August 24, 2021

Kathy Kean is a historic preservationist and high school history teacher focused on engaging the public and her students on history through the lens of art and architecture. She was an early contributor for Historic Milwaukee Inc., giving tours around and about the city of Milwaukee for decades. Throughout the interview, she gives details about her life through the context of saving historic buildings in the city.

Interview with Claire Kutz, September 17, 2021

Claire Kutz is lifelong resident of the Milwaukee area. She reminisces on her life, from her one room school house, to her job at the telephone company, to her marriage and subsequent divorce, and her conversion to being a Jehovah’s Witnesses. Kutz looks back on events seminal to the world and Milwaukee, from the blizzard of 1947 to the death of FDR to the Milwaukee Braves baseball team, ending the interview reflecting on her parenthood.

Interview with Beth Handle, October 14, 2021

Beth Handle is the founder and owner of Milwaukee Kayak Company, which runs tours and recreational kayaking operations throughout Milwaukee’s waterways. Handle gives her perspective on the city through its waterways, emphasizing conservation, recreation, and enjoyment of the city through the rivers it was built upon.

Interview with Adam Tindall-Schlicht, October 19, 2021

Adam Tindall-Schlicht is the Port Director for the Port of Milwaukee. In this interview he tells of his experience at the US Department of Transportation, ultimately to be invited back on the invitation of the Mayor of Milwaukee to be the Port Director, explaining in detail what that entails. In his three years, Tindall-Schlicht has experienced much, from his own wedding to COVID greatly impacting work, ending with a hope that a man of his sexuality and age at an transportation executive administrative is unique, but he hopes will not be in the future.

Interview with Rebecca Klaper, October 28, 2021

Rebecca Klaper is the Vice Dean for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences. She details her research, largely working on examining the impact of man-made products on aquatic life, and her work as an administrator of the SFS, describing the history of the school and the nature of the research they do in and around Milwaukee and the Great Lakes.

Interview with Judge Derek Mosley, November 11, 2021

Judge Derek Mosley is a Municipal Court judge for the City of Milwaukee. In this interview he talks about his upbringing and schooling as well as his early career. He also discusses what a typical day is like in court and the types of cases he sees. Judge Mosley caught COVID-19 very early in the pandemic and he talks about how scary it was and what the aftermath has been. He closes with talking about the need to attack bias and he addresses equity in the law profession.