Tomah Wisconsin GPAA Chapter – February 2019

Welcome

Welcome to the 2019 GOLD FEVER Newsletter.  Another year, another gold prospecting opportunity.  If you have not tried to find gold, you need to give it a try.  Let us know if you need help to get started, there are many people with experience that the help you.

 Do not forget the Newsletter and pictures can always be found at:

President’s Message

 I was glad to everyone who showed up last month. The storm kind of caught me by surprise. It wasn't bad in Marshfield but got much worse further south were most of our members come from. If I know ahead of time that a really bad storm is coming I will try and get the news out if the meeting is canceled.

 Those that were there we treated to a detailed account of a summers stay in Chicken Alaska. Some of the festivals in the area. Also different mine claims you can pay to work and some public ones that are free.

 In February I will give a demonstration of my new gold flow pan. It is best if used in rivers and streams but I will try to get it to work in a tub at the hall. In watching videos of the flow pan it can process unclassified material in seconds per pan instead of having to classify and then taking a couple of minutes to pan conventionally. You still need to pan the concentrates in a normal pan after running several loads thru the flow pan which has gold hog matting in the bottom to catch the gold.  It is supposed to be faster than a sluce I'll find out this summer.  

See you in the creeks Mike Fait                               

Dean Race has consented to join us at our February meeting. He is a miner from Chicken Alaska. He will be talking about his mining claim and the reclamation he does for the BLM. He will be bringing gold bags to purchase. Bring a dish to pass for the pot luck.  Mike Fait

Upcoming Events

Tomah Club Meeting - Town of LaGrange Town Hall. 22731 Flint Ave. Tomah WI. 54660 - 1.8 miles west of the 12/21 Hwy intersection in Tomah. – At 1:00 pm on the following dates, speakers will be announced as they are scheduled:

-       February 16, 2019 - Mike Fait will be demonstrating his new flow pan

-       March 16, 2019

-       April 20, 2019

Planned Outings:

-       May 15, 2019 -  Tomah metal detecting outing site to be determined

-       June 7-8-9, 2019 -  Upper Michigan outing Wausau chapter to Ontonagon for copper ,Yooperlites and maybe gold

-       June 15, 2019 - Nugget Lake outing –Tomah

-       July 13, 2019 -  weekend Muskellunge Lake Michigan outing - Tomah   gold in black sand, agates, fossils and Yooperlits

-       July 26-27-28, 2019 -  Midstate metal detectors club 23rd annual open hunt

-       August 9-10-11, 2019 - Thermal City North Carolina outing - Wausau – Tomah

-       Sept 6-7-8, 2019 -  Snyder county Park outing – Wausau

-       September 21, 2019 -  Nugget Lake group dig -Tomah

Tomah Wisconsin GPAA Chapter Minutes January, 2019

Club Business:                                                                                                                                                              

Last month 13 members braved the snow to attend the meeting.

There was only 2'' in Tomah but I had reports from some members that made it, of up to 6'' further south.

Kurt Bublitz gave a program on vacationing at Chicken Gold Camp. In Chicken Alaska. The various tourist sites in the area and different gold claims you can work while there.

  We also heard the sad news of the passing of two prospectors Terry Knope was a member in our club for a long time thou we didn't see him too often at our meetings I always saw him in Wausau. Also Mike Mckee the former president of the Wausau chapter and organizer of Wisconsin gold rush days in Spencer for two years several years past.  Submitted by Mike Fait.

 Thank you to all that donated items for the Table Raffle – Jeff Hastings, Larry Bender, Mike Fait, Lisa Fait, Barb Bublitz,and Diane Kollins I could have missed some I got pretty busy..   

50/50 raffle went to Rodney Kenyon

Gold nugget to Gayle Fait

Gold concentrates bag to Larry Kollins

Remember to bring a dish to pass for lunch!  Thank you.

Gold Price on 01/27/19 was $1,302.60               Silver Price on 01/27/19 was $15.71

Respectfully submitted by Diane North – Newsletter Editor

Tomah Gold Club e-mail:   

Terry Knope

Shawano - Terry Earl Knope Sr., age 71, of Shawano passed away peacefully, Saturday, January 19, 2019 at an Appleton hospital, from complications of blastomycosis, with his son holding his hand. He was born October 8, 1947 in Green Bay, WI, son of the late James and Marge (Parker) Knope and was a graduate of Shawano High School, Class of 1965.

After graduation, Terry enlisted in the US Navy and served 2 tours of duty in Vietnam aboard the USS Taluga. In September of 2018 he was able to attend a reunion in Missouri with others who served aboard the Taluga. He was a member of the Shawano DAV. For many years, Terry worked at Baker's Super Value in Shawano. He also worked at Kroger's in Appleton and later as a sales rep for World's Finest Chocolates and Mitchell Repair Manuals and Computer Systems.

Terry and Sally Kersten were married at the First Congregational Church in Appleton, May 16, 1970. They shared 48 loving years of marriage and were blessed with 3 children.

Terry was a member of The Church on the Hill, Shawano. When the breakfast club was held at the church for children before school, Terry cooked many special things for the children's breakfast. He was passionate about gold prospecting and metal detecting and was a lifetime member of the GPAA (Gold Prospectors Association of America), The LDMA (Lost Dutchman's Mining Association) and the Wausau Prospectors.

Mike Mckee

 Wisconsin Rapids - Michael A. McKee, 66, of Wisconsin Rapids, passed away, Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinic in Madison.

A Celebration of Life gathering for Mike will be held on Wednesday, January 9, 2019 from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. at Herman-Taylor Funeral Home. A brief prayer service will take place at 6:00 P.M. Online condolences may be expressed at www.taylorfuneralhome.net.

Mike was born September 8, 1952 in Wisconsin Rapids to Donald and Dorothy (Meyer) McKee. He spent most of his formative years in the Wisconsin Rapids/Nekoosa area. Mike graduated from Nekoosa High School. After graduation, he honorably served in the United States Navy, stationed in Georgia and Key West, Florida. Mike later returned to Wisconsin and began his career at Great Northern Paper Company in Nekoosa. He worked for the company for more than 30 years, including his last position of Waste Water Treatment Operator.

Mike met his wife, Theresa in 1988. They were blessed with 30 years of memories together, being married for 27 years. Camping, fishing, gold prospecting, grandchildren, and their dogs, were just some of the activities they enjoyed.

Officers – elected for 2019.

President – Michael Fait (mgfait@charter.net) 715-384-9265   (Cell phone to be used only on meeting days = 715-305-8319)

Vice-President – Gary Morrison 715-316-2555

Secretary – Jeanne Morrison 715-316-2555

Newsletter Editor - Diane North (dbnorth@centurytel.net) 608-635-7031

Treasure – Gayle Fait (mgfait@charter.net) 715-384-9265

Outing Chairman – Jeff Hastings (monkeyhast@frontier.net)  (608) 637-3097

Claims Director – Richard Niemyjski (richnski@frontiernet.net) 608-637-3295

State Director – Mike Flint (mwink12@excite.com) 608-372-0694

APPROVED DEALERS:

Deer field Detectors.  Dealer for Whites, Fisher, Garrett, Minelab, Bounty Hunter, Detector Pro Detector & Pinpointers, Sunray Detector Accessories, & many misc. detecting accessories.  Deerfield Detectors, N3091 CTY Rd. B, Hancock, WI 54943 (715) 572-1845 or e-mail stmill@uniontel.net or http://www.deerfielddetectors.com/

Wisconsin Area Clubs

The Kettle Moraine Prospectors of Wisconsin – We still meet in the Community Center in Plymouth, Wi.  on the second Saturday of the month, providing the church doesn't have something else on their schedule .- 1:00 PM Meetings  Contact: Chuck Riel – 414-328-3194 or visit wisgold.org/index.html

Midstate Metal Detecting Club – meets every 3^rd Wednesday at 7:00 pm at Shooters Bar and Restaurant at the intersection of Hwy 39 and 54, next to the Shell Station.  Contact: Steve Miller 715-572-1845

Wausau Prospectors – meets the 1^st Saturday of the month at 11:00 am at the Village Town Hall in Brokaw Wisconsin. Address is: 218 2^nd St., Brokaw, WI. Take US 51 north of Wausau and take exit 197. Then go east on county road WW. At the 4 way stop in Brokaw take a right. You are there (just past the Credit Union).  Contact:  Kurt Bublitz 715-340-2831 or e-mail lizzy101@charter.net

Wisconsin Michigan Prospectors.GPAA Chapter – holds their meetings on the 3^rd Saturday of every month at 11:00 am, at meeting location for the next few months at Newinghams Supper Club at 722 Main St. Wausaukee, WI 54177. Contact Ron Smith.  

MAY THERE BE GOLD IN EVERY PAN !!!!