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Minocqua-Lakeland Bridge Sectional |
The Friendly Northwoods Vacation Tournament
This is the OLDEST sectional tournament in the USA.
Held continuously from 1941 - 1979; not held in 2020-2021 because of COVID-19
Come help celebrate our most recent tournament!
We are looking for materials for tournaments in the 40's, 50's, etc. Please help if you can!
Nothing has been received in several years! Please help! Otherwise a lot of memories and stories are forgotten forever!
Picture of the Welcoming Committee for the 75th tournament in 2015
Minocqua 75th picture
Following are (1) scans of materials from the 1941 & 1942 tournaments.
(2) a newspaper article from the 1995 tournament
(3) a report from the 1970 tournament
(4) scans of a document sent from the Wisconsin Bridge Association to Dr. G. W. Huber in 1942
(5) a report from the 1965 tournament (in the Midwest Monitor), and
(6) a feature article about the plans for the 1966 tournament (from the Midwest Monitor)
And, if you have any materials or memories that you would like to share,
please e-mail to WUMBA webmaster
Minocqua 1941 Flyer Excerpt
Above: Link to an excerpt from the 1941 Flyer (presumably)
Any other pages, if any, not available at this time
Outside of 1942 score sheet
Above: Link to outside of 1942 score sheet
Below:A link to a cut & paste job from the June 23, 1995 issue of The Lakeland Times
Lakeland Times 1995 issues
Excerpt from the August 10, 1970 issue of The WUMBA Finesse, edited by Ron Andersen & Sue Picus
Minocqua
Rollie Haff reporting
The 1970 Minocqua Lakeland tournament
starting Monday, June 22nd and ending Sunday,
June 28th drew 1608 entries from Wisconsin,
Michigan, and several other states. While
failing to reach the record attendance
of the 1969 tournament, it was probably
one of the most pleasant and highly
enjoyed tournaments in Minocqua history.
The trophy for best overall performance
in all events was won by Jim Haight
of Beloit. Congratulations Jim. Winners
of major events were:
Mixed Pair--June 22 (46 pairs--1 session)
1. Ray Windus, Munising & Freda Carey,
Menominee.
2. Mr. & Mrs. Kelly Weller, Appleton.
Master's Pair--June 23 & 24 (44 prs--2ses)
1. Ron Andersen & Sue Picus, Madison.
2. Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd McCaugherty, Hinsdale.
3. Mrs. Alton Schmidt & Mrs. Richard Guth, Sheboygan.
4. Art Flashinski & Phil Warden, Wausau.
Mixed Team--June 23 (12 teams--1 session)
1. Mr. & Mrs. Homer Denison, Sheboygan,
Mr. & Mrs. David Meily, Appleton.
2/3. Carl & Bernice Peterson, Wilmette,
Mr. & Mrs. Martin Nelson, Chicago.
2/3. Mr. & Mrs. Tom Bouldin, Fort Meyers,
Lillian Butterfield, Rhinelander, and
Ray Windus, Munising.
Women's Pair--June 24 (52 pairs--l ses.)
1. Mrs. T. Robinson, Marquette & Mrs. Z.
Mileski, Ishpeming.
2. Murtle Murphy & Laurette Skubal, Rhinelander.
Men's Pair--June 24 (20 pairs--1 session)
1. Art Flashinski & Phil Warden, Wausau.
2/3. J. J. Fusfeld, Wausau & Wayne Dyer, Kankakee.
2/3. Ronald Andersen, Madison & John
Fourness, Appleton.
Individual--June 25 (44 entries--2 ses.)
1. Pat Daiziel, Rockford.
2. Wayland Smith, Urbana.
3. Jim Haight, Beloit.
4. Mary Ann Meyer, Beloit.
Open Team--June 26 (19 teams--2 sessions)
1. Mr. & Mrs. Martin Nelson, Chicago, Mr.
& Mrs. Lloyd McCaugherty, Hinsdale.
2. Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd Doerfier, Appleton,
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Miller, Appleton.
Open Pair--June 27 (76 pairs--2 sessions)
1. Mr. & Mrs. Jim Haight, Beloit.
2. Mr. & Mrs. Chris Herbster, Chicago.
3. Mr. & Mrs. Peter Meyer, Beloit.
4. Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Levine, Sheboygan.
Ray Quady Special Pair--June 28 (40 prs--
1 session)
(In memory of one of our finest members who contributed
a great deal to the establishment and development
of this fine tournament.)
1. B. Johnson & K. Krouse, Rhinelander.
2. Ronald Andersen amp; Sue Picus, Madison.
Winners of side games were:
Wash Day Pairs (20 pairs): Margaret Parker
& Carol Weiland, Wauwatosa.
Birch Pair (22 pairs): Irma Martin & Bessy
Zadrazil, Green Bay.
Lakeland Pair (42 pairs): Dr. & Mrs. K.
Nie1sen, Columbus, Ohio.
Dr. Huber Special Pair (22 pairs): Sylvester
Birginol & Arine Bloomquist, Rhinelander.
Maples Pair (34 pairs): Hugh Denison,
Sheboygan & Ray Grieg, Manitowoc.
Pines Pair (52 pairs): Marguerite Clark,
Schofield & Mrs. Gordon Smith, Wausau.
Oaks Pair (35 pairs): Mildred Buehrens &
Mrs. K. Monroe, Clintonville.
WUMBA Pair (40 pairs): Dr. & Mrs. K. L.
Nielsen, Columbus, Ohio.
Following are links to scans of a document sent from "Wis State Bridge Ass'n" to Dr. G. W. Huber promoting the 2nd Annual Minocqua Lakelands Bridge Matches in 1942
You will have to guess some of the words since the xerox copies I have are not complete; if anyone has a more complete copy, I would very much appreciate your sending it to me
Cover of materials mailed to Dr. G. W. Huber
Excerpt from announcement of 2nd tournament, a quote from an 1891 speech given by president of American Whist League
Description of events
Tournament trophy presentation picture
First page of "Why come to Minocqua" and picture of trophies donated by Mrs. Ethel Mars (of Mars candy bar fame)
Second page of "Why come to Minocqua" and train schedules, ferry schedules, and mileages to Minocqua from Chicago, etc.
Housing accommadations (9 days for $34!)
Contact information (who to contact in 20 cities, including Al Sobel in New York)
From the Midwest Monitor -- September, 1965
dates of tournament not available in write-up
Wis.-Upper Michigan Names Winners Murna Weller reporting Top scorers in the Lakeland Tournament, Minocqua, Wis.: MIXED PAIRS: (1) Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Blish; (2) Mr. and Mrs. Rollie Haff MASTER PAIRS: (1) Helen VanEweyk and Howard Heberlein; (2) Ann Wieman and Lucille Saso. LIMITED PAIRS: (I) Mr. and Mrs. David Vogelhut; (2) Mr. and Mrs. Peter Meyer. WOMEN'S PAIRS: (1) Leone Rheaume and Mrs. Ann O'Melia; (2) Mrs. Paul Marks and Madeline Anderson. MIXED TEAM: (1) Homer Shoop, Mrs. H. S. Blake, Robert Sheburn, Mrs. Glen Schneider; (2-3) Mr. and Mrs. Carl Peterson, Geo. and Virginia Caspari; Dr. A. J. Hockett, Madeline Anderson, Robert Wilkins, Mrs. John Fourness. OPEN TEAM: (1) Mr. and Mrs. Don Rehfeldt. Mark Catlin, John Fourness; (2) Mr. and Mrs. James Haight, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Meyer. INDIVIDUAL: (1) Homer Denison; (2) Homer Shoop. OPEN PAIR: (1) Mark Catlin, Jr. and John Fourness; (2) Thelma Chapman and Mrs. H. Spangler. One-Session SPECIAL PAIRS: Margaret Hill and Mrs. T. J. Campbell; Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Didrickson; Wm. Bengston and Wayne Dyer; Mr. and Mrs. Robt. Nanz; Mrs. Paul Marks and Helen McCaugherty; Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Blish; Dr. A. Hocket and Madeline Anderson; John Fourness and Robt. Wilkins.
A feature article from the Midwest Monitor — September, 1965
MIDWEST MONITOR
SEPTEMBER, 1965 VOL. 10-NO. 5
Reporters
[many names from across the Midwest, including]
Mrs. Murna W. Weller — Wisconsin-Upper Mich. Bridge Assoc.
Border Banter
Madeline Anderson was the first WUMBA secretary, and one of the most popular of Midwest players. She now lives in Seattle, Wash., where she is a leading Bridge luminary of the Great Northwest.
from Madeline L. Anderson-Seattle
God love him - that George Alderton! His was first name on a list of "most wanted persons" in Minocqua next summer [1966] for the silver anniversary of founding of Midwest Bridge Conference, along with a testimonial dinner for the Minocqua Lakeland's committee and a reunion of the long-time bridge players who helped build this perennially popular event.
A bit of arm-twisting by President Homer Denison of WUMBA persuaded your correspondent from 2000 miles away to work with the committee for planning the celebration, and a conference started with Lakeland's committee as to "Who most would you like to have back for the 1966 event?" They rattled off treasured and colorful names, in great numbers, until I had to say to them "No more." But in the order of their appearance, we are right on schedule with starting the invitations and George Alderton's acceptance has already come. He wrote:
"Count Elizabeth and me in for the reunion starting June 17 for three days at Deer Park Lodge, and then for the tournament days at Minocqua Country club." He concluded with: "I am look in forward to seeing everybody and presume you and I are the only ones still youthful in appearance!"
See how easy he makes it for me to get on with my share of the work?
Work Evident
The present players will realize, at the testimonial dinner, just how much work has been put in through a quarter century by Ray Quady, who has always headed Minocqua Lakeland's committee, and Rollie Haff, Dr. Gale Huber of and Pat Bolger to bring and keep a tournament in Wisconsin's northwoods. Until the first tournament, Minocqua was known mainly as a millionaires' summer colony and a fishermen's paradise.
We hone the old-timers will bring their old time newspaper clippings, pictures of their grandchildren and their swim suits or Bikinis-whichever flatters them the most. In these three days, we expect to swap golden memories of the "lazy, hazy, crazy days of bygone summers at Minocqua-and they are many, many, many.
Al Sobel will remember, for example, the night he wrangled a date with Freddie Snite's attractive redheaded nurse, and how she deliberately and diabolically ran the car out of gas and caused Al to walk his longest country mile to get back for tournament starting time next day!
Ace Gutowsky, now of Oklahoma City but then of Detroit, where he was starring on the Lion's football team, will remember how he went to Minocqua for the six-day tournament and disappeared in the woods for the next six weeks while we all hunted for him. (Ace proved to be a major attraction to the summer colonists and they wouldn't let him go!)
Plans on Porch
George Alderton can't forget how Madeline Anderson pleaded with him on the sunny steps of a summer resort that he, representing Michigan Bridge Association, release Upper Michigan peninsula to the then-forming Wisconsin Bridge Association, to give it an easy name of WUMBA? That front porch dickering was really the start of MIDWEST BRIDGE CONFERENCE.
Cile Weber and Renee Bernhardt will recall how the owners of Deer Park Lodge obligingly removed one whole side of their dining room to permit the entry of Freddie Snite's iron lung at their cocktail party.
The "Peoria Boys" - Larry Ball, Bud Smith and Carroll Baymiller (perhaps all grandfathers now) will regale the troops with their story of "tired muscles" during the war years. They volunteered to do janitor service in the tournament playing space, after the janitor we hired slept off a six-day drunk. (Bless them for their broom and mop detail-and we hope they catch all the fish in 1966 that they missed that summer of 1942.)
And then there was the filing of tournament results to the Associated Press. Your correspondent had finished her work about 4 a.m. filing, among other stories, one that Mr. and Mrs. X had won a certain event. About 6 a.m., same correspondent was wakened by a knock on her door from a friend of theirs to reveal that Mr. and Mrs. X simply could not be announced to their home town papers as winners because they were really Mr. X and Mrs. Z. We had one great time replating on that news release!
Trophies Tremendous
The tremendous trophies - largest ever in play - should best be remembered by Maynard Adams, Chicago and Bill MeGhee, then of Chicago and now of Lake Charles, La. These good guys gave the trophies, in their carrying boxes, (always referred to as "the coffins") preferred space in their cars for display all over the Midwest. The coffins got preference over players wanting to "bum rides" when gas coupons made travel difficult during the war.
Driving conditions were not the best in those times but Maynard and Bill always managed to get their passengers to and from tournaments with nary a mishap, and generally at about 90 miles an hour. One favorite story of that famous pair will always live. Returning from Detroit to Chicago late one Sunday night, Maynard, in the driver's seat, was swapping bridge hands and a bottle of Scotch with Bill, when the car came upon a sharp hairpin turn blocked by a truck. The car swerved, got back on the road, and Maynard, with the steering wheel firm in his hands, shouted at Bill: "Watch out where you're going, you crazy son of a gun, or I'll have to take over the driving."
We all remember Mark Catlin's early morning serenading. He'd get up at the crack of dawn to fish, then come in with his limit and his cronies to sing loud enough on the front porches of bridge players to get them up and feed them his fish.
Musical Scheduled
We plan to put Mark's vocal chords to work again next summer. In fact, before this is published, Mark will have received the libretto of a play produced last month in Seattle for bridge players. The play is a clever plagiarism of "My Fair Lady," written around the making of a bridge player instead of a lady, and Joe has consented that some of the songs be used next summer in Minocqua. You will enjoy "The Rain in Spainwhen it has become "To Raise in Spades You Must Have Four or More." It is hoped that the whole comedy will be given again when Seattle hosts the Nationals.
There is only one mournful note to next summer's planning - the dirge of Director Paul Marks. Paul is panicky lest we overload Minocqua Country Club playing space with too many "long timers." He begged that no more than 30 of the long list of "wanted persons" be invited, and he did get a compromise answer. We promised him that no more than 30 of those present would expect to play in any one event!