The Rock County Historical Society is hosting the second annual Rock County Legacies Gala on April 29 at 6 p.m. at the Glen Erin Celtic House in Janesville. Sponsored by McCann Floors, the event will feature live music and dinner, while recognizing two who made significant contributions to Rock County. The honorees are the late Nancy Nienhuis and the Parker family.
Nancy Nienhuis
Nancy Nienhuis was a lifetime resident of Janesville and La Prairie Township. She grew up farming alongside her family members and loved tending to a variety of farm animals. The Rock County 4-H Fair would remain her favorite spot throughout her life, first as an exhibitor, then leader, and Fruit and Vegetable Project Superintendent. She believed in teaching others how to grow things and welcomed decades of “community gardeners” to share her soil.
Nancy earned her nursing degree at Swedish American in Rockford and continued at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD., where she was a surgical nurse. Her education took her to several hospitals to implement intensive care units; at one such hospital she met surgical resident Herman D. Nienhuis, whom she married in 1958. In 1964, they returned to Nancy’s hometown of Janesville where together they raised three children.
Nancy dedicated her life to caring for others. She was a nursing instructor at Blackhawk Technical College and worked to help establish the associate degree program in nursing. Nancy worked at Rock Haven as a nursing supervisor and as a third-shift nurse at General Motors for over 30 years. While at GM she co-founded the annual GM Food Drive (now Bags of Hope). She served on numerous Boards of Directors in the community.
The Parker Family
George Safford Parker was 25 years old when he applied for his first pen patent and founded the PARKER Pen Company in Janesville, Wisconsin. The year was 1888. By 1894, Parker had invented the pioneering anti-leak system, the ‘Lucky Curve’, a breakthrough for the company.
With the U.S. market for PARKER firmly established, he traveled the world, becoming essentially a missionary of the PARKER pen across the globe. Parker was known to gift pens to the famous, and to people he met on the street while traveling. PARKER pens have been used for more than a hundred years by everyone from people in their homes, to presidents and royals. In 1962, PARKER was granted the Royal Warrant by Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and once again in 1990 by their Royal Highness The Prince of Wales – now King Charles. The Royal Warrant made PARKER the official supplier of writing instruments to the Royal Household.
By 1908, the PARKER factory on Main Street in Janesville was the biggest pen factory in the world. PARKER pens were and are one of the world’s best-known brands, and are sold around the globe.
For Janesville, PARKER Pen became a stalwart of the economy. In 1918, the company achieved its first $1,000,000 sales year, and the following year began construction of a new, five-story building on Court Street.
PARKER emerged from World War II with more than 1,500 Wisconsin employees. In 1953 it expanded to “Arrow Park” in Janesville, a new 226,000 square foot factory equipped with state-of-the-art automated manufacturing machinery.
PARKER’s sales continued to flourish. The internationally known company maintained a presence in Janesville until 1993 and is now part of Newell Brands, based in Atlanta.
Tim Maahs, Executive Director of RCHS, said this event is especially meaningful for the organization because it celebrates the rich history of Rock County.
“A lot of winnowing of potential honorees goes into the decision of who to honor at this event,” Maahs said. “Nancy Nienhuis and the Parker family exemplify how working hard in one’s community – through a variety of ways – can create a lasting, profound legacy.”
In addition to recognizing two local legacies, the Gala promises an evening of dancing, dining, and fun, Maahs added.
The MadTadders Band will play a mix of classic rock hits and ‘90s jams, and live and silent auctions will add to the evening’s line-up.
For more information on the Rock County Legacies Gala, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.rchs.us/gala or call RCHS at 608-756-4509.
