Many years ago, Randy and I lived in the Milwaukee area, where we grew up and spent the first 15 years of our marriage. Whenever we would go to Madison, we’d always find a reason to get off on Hwy 89 and drive through Lake Mills. We thought it was one of the prettiest towns in all of this state. In the fall, with the leaves on the trees the color of gold and cinnamon, we thought Lake Mills was just like one of those New England towns with the white church spires and leaves crunching on the sidewalk as kids walked home from school. Picture perfect. A Norman Rockwell painting in our very own state.
Our favorite house was, and is, the brown and white Dutch Colonial Tarnutzer home on the north end of Rock Lake. We would drive by that home and think of living there someday. We even took the address off the mailbox and wrote a letter to the owners (who we didn’t know at the time) and asked them to “consider” us if they ever put the home on the market. We didn’t expect a reply – but a few weeks later, we got a letter from Dick Tarnutzer saying that the home would hopefully stay in the family for a very long time, but that they appreciated our interest. Imagine that! And imagine, just a few years later, we became friends with Dick because we had an opportunity to move to Lake Mills and become a part of this very special town.
From the picturesque downtown – the park, the bandshell, and the beautiful buildings lining the park – to the lake and the gorgeous homes that this town is famous for – we know that we are truly “home” and will remain here for a long long time. And we know that not only do we live in a quaint town – but we live with people who have the spirit of friendship and community. We wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
Katie Otto
