Dolores (Schindler) Hebert History & Genealogy Fund

Recognizing Dolores' knowledge of family connections and local history, and appreciative of how the community has supported Dolores, her family established the Dolores (Schindler) Hebert History & Genealogy Fund.

Whenever Dolores Hebert meets someone new, she asks questions. "What is your last name?" the Chippewa Falls resident might ask, as she takes the person's hand in greeting. "Who was your father? Where did you grow up?"

"Oh, I do that to everyone," Dolores explained. "It's so important in life to know people," she said.

Beneficiaries of this fund will be the Chippewa County Genealogical and Historical societies.

Dolores is touched her family wants to honor her this way. "Dolores is very keen to know your 'people'," said Dick's wife, Karen. "She sees a lot of value in knowing not just a person but the web of relationships of which someone is a part."

Dolores' history began more than nine decades ago. The daughter of Cecelia and William Schindler, Dolores is the oldest of their ten children. Dolores earned an eighth-grade education and later participated in vocational education before beginning employment with the Chippewa Woolen Mill.

Dolores married town of Wheaton farmer Lawrence "Blackie" Hebert on Aug. 24, 1957. Less than a year later, a tornado struck their farm, destroying a barn, machine shed, and silo and damaging their home. Many people lent a hand as they repaired the house and built a new barn.

Ten years later a fire broke out in their barn, and neighbors helped corral the cows and battle the blaze. After the ashes cooled, Dolores and Blackie built the third barn.

The next year Blackie died, leaving Dolores with three boys (Dick - 9, Pat - 7 and Cliff - 2) to raise. Mother and sons moved off the farm to a home a mile west of Chippewa Falls.

Dolores kept her boys busy in Boy Scouts, 4-H, football, baseball, and band. She served as a den mother, club leader and band parent and participated in several community organizations herself (Home Makers, Women of the Moose, Catholic Order of Foresters, Notre Dame Church and Catholic Women's Club). To stay home with her sons, she relied on savings and sold Stanley Home Products at home parties all over the county. ("She was quite the sales lady," Karen said.) After raising her boys, who each went off to college after graduating from McDonell High School, Dolores worked on the line at Amoco for eight years before retiring at 65.

Dolores credits her extended family and community for helping her face life's challenges and raise three sons. "It's people working together that makes a community," she said.