Our Board Members

President: Tom Kontos athan1821@yahoo.com

Tom grew up in Butte des Morts and graduated from Winneconne High School. He graduated from Ripon College, and later graduated from the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth. He is currently a retired Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel, landlord, and volunteer firefighter and works as a Biomed for ThedaCare. Tom is the son of the late Tom J. Kontos and Bonnie Porath Kontos, nephew to George Kontos. His wife, Heather Kontos, will begin teaching Math in Winneconne this year. Tom‘s 30 years of service included the Army, Army Guard, and Army Reserve. He is a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and also served in Germany and various locations in the United States. He has belonged to the Winneconne Poygan Fire Department since 1990. He is a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Fond du Lac. His lifelong interest in reading History goes back to the bookmobile parked in front of the Grignon building. History was one of his degrees at Ripon, where he interned for a semester at the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, PA. He once was published as a co-author of The Deployment Journal of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to Baghdad, Iraq in 2008. Tom has inherited the wanderlust from his ancestors and loves traveling and always makes it a point to see something historical. HIs interest in Butte des Morts History is multi-faceted. First he is greatly intrigued with the geographic location of Butte des Morts in the early fur trapping days and that one had to pass by it in order to get to the Mississippi River. Second, he is amazed at the early history of Butte des Morts itself to include the early settler and the Indians before them.

Vice President: Deb Daubert

Deb’s first memory of Butte des Morts is one of the friendly people who helped her older brother get the family car back on the road after it slid off during a winter storm. They had been traveling from Wausau, where they lived, to Oshkosh to visit both sets of grandparents. A belated thanks to those nameless people. She was born on a farm outside of Omro, but then moved to Wausau at age six. During college, she moved back to Oshkosh to live with her grandmother. However, at the same time her mother, Mary G. Daubert, decided to relocate (Deb’s father died when she was twelve and Mary wanted to help elderly grandparents.) so she bought her new home circa 1973 in Butte des Morts. She found work at the Winneconne Community Schools. Deb’s two younger brothers, Myron and Matthew, many may remember as being their paperboys during the 1980s. Deb has been the curator at the Oshkosh Public Museum since 1981 but actually started there in 1977 as an intern from UW-O and then taught art classes until she became curator. In those early years the museum actually took part in an archeological dig at the Grignon/Petford Hotel. She participated by cleaning many artifacts found near the foundation. When Deb’s mother started having health problems, she came to stay with her to help. Now that Deb’s mother has passed on she spends her time at the Butte des Morts home and her 100+ year old, farm near Eureka.

Secretary-Treasurer: Patti Yana

Patti was born and raised in the Milwaukee area and obtained her BS degree from UWO in Early Childhood. After earning her MA in education while teaching Kindergarten she started volunteering anywhere and everywhere! She has lived in Butte des Morts with her husband, Joe, for the past 26 years. Living in a 105 year old house that has only had two previous owners got her interested in exploring its origin! With Joe being a history major and Patti being a teacher, she is always interested in learning things about history. BDM seemed a great place to explore history! Patti began exploring history while working on her family genealogy. Along with volunteering on numerous committees, ushering at the Grand Opera House, and volunteering at the Oshkosh Public Museum, Patti also serves on the board of the Winnebago County Historical and Archaeological Society.

Randy Domer

Randy was born in Oshkosh in 1951. He and his wife, Karen, have three daughters and six grandchildren. Randy is a food industry executive recently retired from SUPRVALU, Inc. with 23 years of service. Randy started in the grocery business at age 15 employed as a stock clerk and bagger for the Prescott family who owned Sawyer Street SUPERVALU in Oshkosh. He also is a 20+ year veteran with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, retiring from service as a Sergeant First Class. In 2013 Randy wrote and published a book entitled "Yesterday in Oshkosh…My Hometown", tales reminiscent of growing up in Oshkosh in the 1950s and 60s. In his leisure time, Randy enjoys historical research, fishing, gardening, music, sports, cooking at home and writing. Today Randy is a member of the board of directors with the Winnebago County Historical and Archaeological Society and has a strong passion for local history. It was here that Randy’s interest in the Butte des Morts community was fueled by the opportunity to help preserve the Grignon Hotel. The WCHAS appointed Randy as chairman to oversee the society’s interests in helping save the historic site.

Valerie Stabenow

Grew up in the city of Chicago and attended Chicago Public Schools. B.S. from University of Wisconsin, fluent in French and Spanish. Master's in Counseling from Northern Illinois University and graduate study at the University of Paris-Sorbonne. A Winnebago County Master Gardener, I volunteer at the Morgan House, the Paine, am Project Lead for Invasive Plants and help local residents as a Plant Health Advisor. Always enjoyed history and was a charter member of the Montello (WI) Historical Society. Current member of the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Winnebago County Historical Society.

Tim Cook

Tim was born and raised in Oshkosh and graduated from UWO with a Bachelor’s degree in Business. He has a background in banking, manufacturing, construction and human services and has held positions with Citizens Bank, Marinette Marine, Lauber and Co and Clarity Care, from which he retired in 2015. Other Board positions include Goodwill Industries and The American Red Cross. Tim has a son and daughter, both living in Menominee MI with their 5 children.

Tim and his wife Cathy bought a cottage in Butte des Morts in 2002 with the intent of spending their summer weekends there and then building a new home after they retired. They were living in Oshkosh then. That first year, they spent the entire summer at their cottage! What an incredible place to live. Cathy and Tim had fallen for the people, the amazing lake views and the wonderful feel of small town living in Butte des Morts. They decided to “move up” their plans and began building in 2003, becoming “permanent” residents in the spring of 2004. Tim has always enjoyed history and looks forward to learning more about the small town he and Cathy live in.

Janet Eiler

Janet was born in 1966 and grew up in the Winneconne/Allenville area, graduating from Winneconne High in 1984.  She currently resides in the Village of Fox Crossing.  Janet works for Villa Hope, Inc, working with mentally challenged men.  Janet has two sons and one grandson. Janet is related to the Benedict clan that once inhibited much of Butte des Morts, so her roots run deep.  Janet and her mom hosted an annual Benedict Reunion for 16 years and value family deeply.  Janet is a busy person serving in several societies: Winnebagoland Genealogical Society – President, Newsletter Editor, and Publications; Bell Cemetery Association – Secretary & Board of Directors; Butte des Morts Historical Preservation Society – Board of Directors; Member of the Winneconne Historical Society, Winnebago County Historical & Preservation Society, and the Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society.

Cindy Herbert

Cindy was born in Oshkosh in 1959. She grow up in a wonderful neighborhood on Island View Drive on Lake Winnebago. Even from an early age, she was interested in history and one of her early research projects was on the explorer Ponce de Leon and his search for the Fountain of Youth. A history project she will never forget. Cindy has lived in Butte des Morts since 1980 when she and her husband Tom were married. Their married life started out renting a very small apartment attached to the historical Augustin Grignon Hotel. They lived there for 3 years as they fixed up an older home they had purchased on the water only a few blocks away on Washington street. After extensive renovations, they moved in and lived in this home until 1999 when they bought Tilly’s Tavern from Frank and Alice Kachur. She and her husband lived next to the tavern for almost 13 years and owned the business for 24 years. They sold Tilly’s in January of 2023.

Cindy and her husband continue to live in Butte des Morts in the home they purchased in 2012. Cindy is retired after a rewarding 38 year career in Marketing at Hoffmaster in Oshkosh and now enjoys working with a Wisconsin based skincare company called L’BRI Pure and Natural. Cindy is an active board member for the Winneconne Chamber of Commerce and is their treasurer. She and her husband enjoy boating, relaxing at their cottage in Wild Rose and spending time with friends and family.

Joe Yana

Joe was born in and grew up in Oshkosh, WI. He attended St. Mary’s Elementary School, Webster Stanley Junior High, and graduated from Oshkosh High School. He went on to receive his Bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from UW-Oshkosh, where he met his wife Patti. They were married in 1975. Joe continued on to Marquette Law School. After practicing law for 5 years, Joe served as Family Court Commissioner for Winnebago County for 23 years. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Inter-professional Committee on Divorce and the Butte des Morts Conservation Club. He is also an active member of the Butte des Morts Lions Club, Re:Th!nk, and the Winnebago County Heroin Task Force.