Mayor’s Column June 20, 2026
Rohn Bishop, Mayor of Waupun
Hello Waupun!
Last week I had the privilege to be joined by Administrator Kathy Schlieve, and Common Council President Dan Siebers, to present a Mayoral Proclamation to DeAnn Thurmer, President of Waupun Memorial Hospital and Nicole Gill, VP of the hospital; commemorating Waupun Memorial Hospital’s 75th anniversary. SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital invites the community to join them from 10 am – 12 pm on Sunday, June 28 to recognize its 75th anniversary. The event will feature refreshments in the cafeteria, as well as the unveiling of a new Agnesian HealthCare Foundation donor wall and a look at the hospital’s community art display across from the gift shop.
This event is also a good chance to congratulate DeAnn Thurmer on her upcoming retirement, and to thank her for all she’s done for Waupun Memorial after 40 years. A 1981 graduate of Waupun, DeAnn has worked hard to make Waupun Memorial one of the nation’s top rural hospitals. We hear so much about the needs of rural health care in America, so it is indeed fitting that DeAnn is being recognized upon her retirement by the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, who named her as a recipient of the 2026 Rural Health Ambassador Award. The Rural Health Ambassador Award recognizes health care professionals who promote their organizations, contribute to rural health care, and help strengthen connections in the communities they serve. SSM Health said DeAnn Thurmer was selected for her long-term commitment to rural health care, servant leadership and connections to Baraboo, Ripon and Waupun.
DeAnn also led the initiative to install a secure wing to treat inmate patients, meaning Waupun is one of only two hospitals in all of Wisconsin with a secure unit: strengthening our community’s 180-year relationship with the Department of Corrections. Having a rural hospital in a city our size can be challenging, and politicians often make it harder, but with the community’s support, and the partnership with the DOC, Waupun Memorial will continue to be an important asset to Waupun for years to come.
In other news, congratulations to the Waupun Baseball Team on making it to state! Also, to our FFA students who did excellent at their annual convention!
The Avanti Piano Trio will be having a morning performance at Waupun Union Congregational Church, 125 Beaver Dam Street, Waupun on Wednesday, June 24 at 10 a.m. This free concert of chamber music is sponsored by the Green Lake Festival of Music and features piano, violin and cello music by Beethoven, Florence Price and Paul Schoenfield. Join us and enjoy world-class musicianship and beloved classics in a welcoming setting.
Finally, next Saturday, join Jaedon Buchholz and me for the “See Waupun With Mayor Rohn” Sculpture Tours, as part of Celebrate Waupun. We’ll talk about Mr. Shaler, National Rivet, local history, and maybe even a local family who traveled to Ripon in 1854 to help create the Republican Party! Either way, if you enjoy local history and hanging out with a couple of nerds, we’ll see you there!
Thank you and have a great weekend!
Mayor Rohn
